I Found A Whistle
by The Gypsy King
Summary: Noah Puckerman rarely ever got up at such an early hour, the earliest hour to ever have the grace of his lovely badass presence was a slick ten minutes before the bell rung for his homeroom. But there was, as there always is, an exception.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter one

The sun was slowly rising on the small town of Lima, Ohio. Birds were chirping, waiting for the morning sun, and flirting with the air. A light wind was rustling the fall leaves out of their slumber. It was a quiet and peaceful morning, not yet bruised by the sounds of grunts and groans and vexing alarm clocks.

Noah Puckerman rarely ever got up at such an early hour, the earliest hour to ever have the grace of his lovely badass presence was a slick ten minutes before the bell rung for his homeroom. But there was, as there always is, an exception. One day, out of every year, he wakes up before the sun. Mostly because he didn't sleep at all, but he wouldn't know, he was usually drunk, or hungover. Or not home at all. His mother was usually up his behind about curfew and the over-consumption of alcohol, but not today. Today marked a very black day on the Puckerman family calendar. It was the anniversary of the day their father left them, leaving behind his pregnant wife with a family to raise by herself and his son with a black eye and no father to look up to. It wasn't the best of days.

But this year, this year was different. Puck was sober today, and he was aware of the day and the burden it carried with it. He didn't feel like a headache and he had to be at school in a few hours. Sure, he was known to miss a few classes, and his best friend, Finn, had been around long enough to know what this day meant for Puck and how he chose to deal with it, so the excuses were all fired up and ready to be given. But he didn't want to be alone, locked up in his room, whining like a little girl, so he decided against it. And plus, he had glee practice, and Rachel Berry was on the rampage, railing on everyone to get a head start on sectionals this year, and as much of a badass as he was, he wasn't in the mood to deal with her crazy. He knew for a fact that she would walk up to his front porch, break down his door, and insist he present her with the doctor's report on his condition that allowed him to sit at home with an excuse for his absence, because well- she did that to Mike Chang a week ago.

With a sigh, and a groan, he reluctantly gets out of bed and heads to his bathroom. He turns on the faucet, and splashes his face awake with some water. He reaches for his toothbrush with one hand while grabbing the toothpaste with the other, and with a light squeeze of the tube on the brush, he starts brushing his teeth. As his eyes regain their proper function, he meets his own eyes in his reflection. He slowly takes in his appearance, his eyes shifting downward to his chest. He stops brushing abruptly, his hand moving away to trace a light scar right under his left collarbone. It was barely there, you wouldn't even notice it if you hadn't experienced the cause firsthand. As his fingers lightly brush over it, he's taken back eight years ago. His dad was carrying a duffel bag over his shoulder yelling at his mother while he was sitting in the living room watching cartoons.

"_Get out of my way." He remembers his dad saying menacingly, as his mother tried to block the door from him._

"_Eli, your kids." She pleaded, "Don't do this to them."_

"_Sarah, get the fuck out of my way. I don't want to hurt you, so go." He said calmly._

"_But Noah- God, Eli, what am I supposed to tell him?" She yelled quietly, making sure not to startle Puck out of the living room._

"_I don't give a fuck. Tell him, I died." He shoved past her, "Shit, woman, seriously, get out of my way."_

"_NO!" She yelled, for real this time, "I won't let you break up this family." She pounded at his chest as he tried to maneuver around her._

_He laughed cruelly at that, "What family? I'm miserable and it's time that I went after what I want. You guys don't need me, I bet your daddy will be more than pleased to hear that I've left."_

"_Don't be like that." She told him, still gripping his arms._

_He grunted in frustration, shoving her away from him aggressively, causing her to hit the table beside the door, and in an effort to balance herself, she jerked the table, causing a very complicated looking vase to fall and break into several scattered pieces on the floor._

_Hearing the commotion, Puck appeared from the living room, "Mommy, are you okay?" He gasped, noticing his father._

"_Yes, baby, just go back inside." She oredered, her eyes pleading at her husband to consider the little boy standing in his pajamas._

"_Dad, what did you do?" Puck's father wasn't known as the guy who beat his wife, well- not to his son, at least, but every now and then Puck saw his father's temper getting the better of him, and he vowed that if he ever saw him lay a hand on her, he wouldn't take it kindly. He runs to the door, grabs his father's hand and turns him around. "Say sorry."_

"_Fuck." His dad muttered, "Listen to your mother, and go back inside."_

"_No, you're gonna hurt her again." He says, crossing his arms._

"_Noah, I don't have time for this." He says through clenched teeth._

"_Say sorry." He yelled, punching his legs repeatedly, "Say sorry." He screamed it that time, his hands getting more aggressive._

_Without saying a word, his father swung his fist back, his hand colliding with his son's eye with such force that he got thrown back, landing on the broken vase. Sarah Puckerman rushed to her son frantically, screaming his name. As she flipped his tiny body over, she found him unconscious, one of the broken shards of class puncturing his skin, just above his heart. She vaguely hears an "I'm sorry" and a door being shut. She turns around and sees that her husband has left, so fighting back the urge to sob; she picks up her son and heads to the hospital._

He jerks back to the present by the sound of his mother's voice, and a light knocking at his bedroom door, "Noah?"

"In here, Ma!" He says, his voice muffled by the toothbrush in his mouth.

"Oh good, I thought you were-" She sighs, leaning against the door, wrapping her robe tighter around her body, "Well, never mind that, you want some breakfast?" She asks, smiling tiredly.

His mom was always upbeat and full of energy and more than a little crazy on her good days, but today was different, and they both were a little bit easier on each other. So taking in her tired appearance, and sad eyes, he couldn't help but say yes. "Sure, ma. Sounds good." He says, rinsing his mouth as he grins at his reflection, angling his face to check his teeth. As she turns to leave, he turns his head, giving her a small smile, "Hey, ma."

"Hmm?"

"I love you." He tells her, a true sentiment, and a genuine smile on his face.

She walks over to him, placing a kiss on his temple, "Me too." She says, ruffling his Mohawk, "Are you ever gonna shave that thing off?"

"Nope." He smiles at her, "Now, go make me food, woman!"

"Noah!" She scolds, "Is that any way to talk to your mother?"

"Nope." He rolls his eyes as she glares at him, "Sorry?"

"You better be." She mutters, as she leaves his room. "Wear socks, I don't need you to catch a cold."

"Sure." Deciding that this day wouldn't be as bad as the others, he steps into the shower, determined to wash every memory of his goddamned father away even if it did make him sound like a sissy. He knew it was pointless, and he was probably gonna end up with his knuckles raw and his head aching from all the alcohol in his system by the end of the day, but it doesn't hurt to have a little bit of optimism to start the day, doesn't it? Especially if he gets to think about naked ladies and the like while he's doing it. (What? It was the morning.)

After getting an early start on school preparations, he heads downstairs to meet his mother. They eat quietly, an overwhelming sense of dread and a peculiar tranquility washing over them as each of them drowns in their thoughts. Finishing up, Puck decides to take a little walk, "Hey, ma! I'm going out for a run before school, need anything?"

"No, sweetie, but be careful." She says, giving him a worried look, "Last year-"

"Don't worry," He says, walking up to her and enveloping her in a hug, "I won't."

"Okay, I'll drive Dani today so you can take your time." She sighs, kissing his forehead, "Try to make it to school, okay?" She laughs sadly.

"I make no promises, Mrs. Puckerman." He says, grabbing his jacket, "Bye, mother." He bows playfully.

He starts walking down the path of his house, and on to the sidewalk. He stares down at his feet as the leaves flutter around him. Shoving his hands in his pocket, and hunching his shoulders as a wind sweeps through, he makes his way to nowhere in particular. He thinks about his father. To this day, he can't fathom, no matter how much he thought about it, why or what possessed that man to just up and leave his family with not the least bit of regret hesitating his actions. He didn't care that he didn't have a father as much as he hated knowing he had one that was a piece of shit. To know that a part of you came from a man who betrayed his entire family and left them with nothing, that was the worst of all. He vowed he would never become that man. Sure, he was an ass most of the time, but this was high school. None of it matters. He didn't base his personality on the performance he gave in school; it was just that, a performance. The social circle he belonged to was nothing but a stage to feed his ego, to lie himself into a role that would fool even the best of them into thinking he was an insensitive prick, a jackass, a jerk, take your pick. Chuckling to himself, he realizes that he just made a theatre reference. He's been spending too much time in glee. Rounding the next corner, he notices that the town was beginning to wake up; cars pulling out of their driveway, robe clad neighbors collecting their mail and newspapers, and breakfast smells wafting from the open windows of the houses lining the street. He smiles to himself, noting that he should start taking more walks in the morning, maybe working in a quick jog into his workout. Moreover he wanted to clear his head, not wanting a single thought about his father to float around in his mind, but seeing as that he was doing the one thing in the world where distractions weren't offered, he thought he'd head back home, get into his truck, and head on to school to punch a few bags around.

But as his mind contemplated his next course of action, he notices a small figure jogging up ahead. She was a girl of course. Her hair was tied in a tight ballerina bun at the top of her head, several strands of hair escaping the confines, and falling down on her shoulders. She was wearing a very flattering pair of blue shorts, hung very low on her hip. Her tank top hugged her curves in a tight grip, the hem not quite reaching the waistband of her shorts, revealing a tiny sliver of skin. It was a very chilly morning, and he starts thinking that this girl is a bit mental. Sure, she was running, but even he would have the sense to put on more clothes than that. He vaguely senses a familiarity in her demeanor, but not one to dwell on his mind; he decides that pursuing this fine piece of ass (and what a nice one she has) will serve as a very good distraction to the troubles he's dealing with. But just as he dawns on his trademark smirk, his mind decides to humor him.

"_Tell him, I died."_

Flashbacks. "Fuck." He mutters, as he finds himself gripping a tree, this is why he drinks, he reminds himself. They weren't so much as flashbacks, it wasn't like a Vietnam type of thing or anything extreme like that, but more of a spontaneous reminder that kept his reality in check every now and then. It was one of the many antagonizing things he hated about his subconscious. His shirt rides up as he slides down the tree while one of his hands closes into a fist and punches at the sidewalk aggressively. He hisses as the impact tears his skin. Letting out a low groan, he grips his wrist to his chest not daring to touch the raw skin just yet, resting his head on his knees.

"Noah?" He hears a soft voice call his name, but he ignores it because he thinks it's all in his head, and no one calls him Noah but his mom so it made sense. He feels a warm hand on his forearm. Looking up, he sees none other than Rachel Berry kneeling in front of him, "Noah, are you okay?" She asks worriedly.

"Ra-Berry?" He asks, shock evident on his features as he takes in her appearance and notices her outfit; the one he saw on that girl just a minute ago. Wait, what? "Figures." He mumbles inaudibly. His intuition was proven correct, mental he said, and there, Rachel Berry appeared. He wishes there was an audience to witness his super genius psychic powers

"I was out for my usual morning run, I was just going to go back inside when I saw you here." She says, offering him a smile, but noticing his scowl she decides to continue," I didn't mean to intrude or harass you- so before you come up with a clever insult regarding my masculine hands or my religion's involvement with my nose- which I think is highly offensive since you and I are of the same roots. Gosh, You probably think I'm stalking you know, but rest assured, my dads can guarantee you that this follows a daily routine that I have devised ever since the age of ten, my body is very important to me, and I-"

"Berry, shut up." He says, smirking just a little, "You're body is important to me too." He laughs.

"Noah, don't be vile." She scolds, "I just wanted to provide a valid defense should you decide to insult or accuse me of anything, which you always do. So logically, my actions, or should I say my words, are a perfectly normal reflex."

"Never mind, don't shut up." He laughs, seeing the look of annoyance on her face as she narrows her eyes at him.

"I see that we can add comedy to your long list of wonderful attributes, Noah. Now, if you have nothing nice to say, please get off my property." She says, standing up. "Before I pee in my pants from all that oozing humor of yours."

"Well, shit, Berry! You made a funny!" Puck laughs, "Wow, I mean it could have used a lot less words, but you made me react in a way that did not make me want to light myself on fire." He sighs, shaking his head "An actual laugh. I'm impressed."

"Noah, that's absurd. Do you honestly expect me to believe that my mere presence would cause you to inflect self-harm? I'm not that bad. I don't know what's up with this generation and their obsession with exaggerations, I mean honestly." She scoffs, crossing her arms.

"So you admit that you're not from this generation?" Puck smirks, tilting his head at her, his eyes squinting as they attempt to shield themselves from the sun.

"Yes, I do. I'm as old as that god-awful pair of shoes you have on. I'm sagging away as you can see." She says dramatically, lifting her shirt to reveal a very toned stomach, her abs clearly visible as she breathes in, "Now, if you'll excuse me, this poor old woman is in need of a shower." She says turning to walk up to her house.

He's taken aback at the sheer confidence and total un-Rachel Berry like response coming from her, and is a bit overwhelmed over the sight of her flat stomach. He always knew she had a nice body. Her legs were a testament to that of course, but never has he seen a girl their age with a stomach like that, and he's seen a lot of girls, so that's saying something. He's probably drooling right now, so he's relieved that she's almost at her door, her back to him. So wiping at his mouth with his sleeve, he calls out to her, "Hey, Berry, can I join you?"

"Go home, Puckerman." She yells, not bothering to look back.

He's slightly disappointed, and not because she didn't answer him, and definitely not because she yelled at him. But because she's going to leave, and this was the first time in a very long while that a person, on this day, distracted him long enough to not think about his father. Her speeches- or small talk as she'd probably refer to it- were long enough and filled with enough complex words to occupy his thinking mind, and her legs, lips, and what the hell- her entire body was enough to keep him happy, and her comments were material he could use against her to keep the interaction beneficial and fun to both parties, well him more so, but that's besides the point.

Deciding that he should pull back from the asinine comments and try on a different approach to keeping her around, he calls out one more time, "Hey, Berry." He says in a soft voice, but loud enough for her to hear.

Groaning, she replies, "Yes?"

"I'm bleeding." He says, lifting his hand so that the bloody knuckles are facing her, a small guilty smile on his features.

She sighs, "Come in." Motioning for him to follow her as she unlocks the door.

* * *

**Let me know what you think, and by that I mean clicking that charming little link under this text of course. I hear it's called a review button, but I dunno if it really exists, so help me out here, and show me the way. **

**And thanks for getting this far ;)**

**Happy Christmas everyone!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: **Hello, everyone! Thank you all for the lovely reviews, and for those of you who have favorited this story already. I really appreciate it. I apologize for not being able to reply to all you reviews, I got side tracked, but I'll get to it.

**Side Note:** This story picks up right after season one. It's basically the same backstory as it is between our characters on the show unless I reveal anything myself in later chapters. And if I do decide to change anything, I'll be sure to let you know. Also, I'd like to take this time to apologize for any grammatical or spelling errors you may come across as you're reading. It's quite difficult to edit your own work.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Glee or the characters, but I will take credit for the story line :)

Read, and please please please review! I said please, and it's also three times which makes it genuine.

* * *

Once inside the Berry residence, Puck takes a minute to take in his surroundings before following Rachel further inside the house. Not to say that he hasn't been here before, he's had his fair share of visits, but whenever he came by, he was usually ushered straight to Rachel's room, therefore never getting the chance to tour the house. So, by his logic, since his day was already pre-ruined, he decided that snooping around was a lovely way to carry on with his day even if it meant being berated by the tiny girl in front of him. Just as his eyes start scanning the pictures aligning the wall, he hears Rachel sigh, "Stay here, okay? I'm just going to get the first aid kit." She tells him, turning around, and taking the stars two at a time.

"Sure." He mutters, not bothering to look away from the picture he was admiring. He couldn't help but gawk at the picture in front of him. It was a picture of Rachel; she looked exactly the same, so he assumed it was taken recently. She was wearing a pair of dark denim shorts, and a red –what he assumed was an OSU football jersey. He couldn't be sure, because a pair of hands were wrapped around her waist, scrunching up the fabric, her hands covering the ones on her, while her feet were flying in the air as the owner of the hands lifted and hugged her to his chest. She was laughing, her head bowed down as the guy's face nuzzled into her neck.

To say that he was jealous would be a lie. To be honest, he never felt any sort of romantic emotion towards the girl in question. Lust, yes, after all he is a teenage boy, but never has he ever considered her as a potential _love_ _interest. _If anything, he was at awe; he'd never seen Rachel like this. He had seen her in her element, burning with passion and raw talent. He'd witnessed most if not all her fits of rage and storm outs. He'd seen her cry, laugh, and heartbroken. But this Rachel, she was none of those things. She looked like a kid, happy and carefree. It was surreal and refreshing at the same time. Lost in the pictures, he doesn't notice someone coming down the stairs.

Clearing his throat to capture his attention, Hiram Berry appears with a first aid kit in one hand and a smile above his chin, "Good morning, Noah." He says, startling Puck, and causing him to jump half a foot in the air.

"Jesus!" He sighs, "Geez, Mr. Berry, tone down the creepy, man." He chuckles, offering his hand to shake.

"I see you still maintain that charm of yours." He smiles back, shaking his hand "Good to see you here, son."

"Uh- yeah, Rachel-" He stutters, rubbing his hand on the back of his head.

"She told me." He says, waving the first aid kit at him, "School starts in an hour, I don't want her to be late. And as much as I trust in her skills, I think my being a doctor would be more beneficial to your well being if I took care of that bloody wreck."

He didn't really need medical help. After all this was just an excuse to be around Rachel in an attempt to distract him from his mind. So when he sees Hiram Berry, he's more than slightly bummed. He can't really blame Rachel for agreeing to this, because, let's face it, he's an ass to her. It was a way out of having to confront him, and he was disappointed in the fact that he understood why she would want that.

"Beats having a lecture about how violence is _vile _thing and all that while she's trying to fix me up, so thanks." He jokes, following Hiram into the kitchen.

"What makes you think I won't?" He calls back, "I mean she is my daughter after all. She got that trait from someone." He says with a smile, causing Puck to laugh.

"True," Puck says, "But it's really nothing, Mr. Berry, just a few scratches. I just didn't want to go back home and have my mom see it and worry. I'll just wash it off."

"Nonsense, boy!" Hiram says dramatically, "I'm here, aren't I?" He says, grabbing his hand and inspecting it. "Dear lord, what did you do? Punch a wall?"

"A sidewalk actually." He shrugs, raising his eyebrows at the look of disbelief on Hiram's face.

"What on earth possessed you to do such a thing?" He asks, grabbing a towel and running it under water as he brings it to Puck's knuckles.

"I dunno." He says softly.

"Well, I'll have to wrap it up. It might get infected if it's exposed, the cuts are pretty big." He says, applying an alcohol swab over his cuts.

He hisses as it makes contact with his skin, "That's cool."

"So, how's your mother?" Hiram asks conversationally, looking up at him from the corner of his eye as he wraps up his hand.

"She's all right." He answers awkwardly.

As he finishes wrapping up his knuckles, Hiram looks up at Puck, contemplating something in his head "Noah, I've known your mother for a long time, and of course you as well by association, and I don't mean to offend you in any way or make you feel uncomfortable, but I know what this day means for the both of you. Your mother is one of my closest and oldest friends, and I want you to know that- for what it's worth, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Puck didn't know what the proper reaction for a situation like this was, so not wanting to sound rude, he nods his head and offers him a small smile, "Um- uh, well, thanks?"

"Oh dear, I've turned this into an awkward conversation, haven't I?" Hiram says, worrying his features.

"Pretty much." He chuckles, as he takes his hand back, and inspects it.

"Rachel always warns me about this, how can I salvage it?" He mutters, his hand rubbing his chin.

"I think you already have." Puck says, "But all badass images aside, thanks for the support, Mr. Berry."

"Yes, well, that's splendid. Anytime, son." He says, patting his shoulder, "Now, pancakes or waffles?"

"That's all right, sir. I should probably get going." Puck says, making a move to stand up.

"Codswallop, I rarely have a chance to cook a hearty breakfast." Hiram tells him, motioning for Puck to sit down, as he cleans up the counter, "My dear daughter, bless her, doesn't let me perform any of my parental duties. You know, I never had a chance to fix her up the famous Berry breakfast because she's either allergic or against eating everything in the recipe? So god help me, you're staying." He says, pushing him back on the chair.

"I guess I have no choice." He laughs as he sees Hiram fluttering across the kitchen, and piling ingredients in his hands, singing, "I'm making waffles" under his breath excitedly.

Puck pulls out his phone and sends a quick text to his mother, he wasn't the kind of guy who updated his mother about his whereabouts, but he was pretty sure she would be worried, especially today. As he hits the send button, he hears Rachel's voice yelling in the distance, "Daddy!" She sounded irritated, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"In the kitchen, sweetheart!" He yells back, as a dash of flour splashes his face.

She still hasn't entered the kitchen, but he can still perfectly hear her ramble on from wherever she was. "I can't find my Pointe shoes, have you seen them? I need those shoes. Daddy!"

He lifts his head just in time to see her enter the kitchen, wearing a very thin floral robe, reaching just above her knees, her hair wet and cascading down her shoulder. The robe was loosely knotted around her waist, granting him a lovely view of her upper chest; her very wet chest.

"I don't have time to break in the new ones in- oh Noah, what are you doing here?" She tilts her head, as if this was news to her.

"You let me in, remember?" He says, shaking whatever look was dominating his features at the sight of a wet Rachel and a robe, and replacing it with a smirk.

"Oh, right. I apologize. I'm just distracted as you can probably see." She gestures to herself, "Anyway, daddy, have you seen them?"

"Seen what?" He says, eyeing an egg suspiciously.

"My Pointe shoes, daddy. Focus." She whines, taking a seat next to Puck, and running a hand through her hair.

As soon as she sits down, Puck finds himself leaning in, trying to get more of that delicious smell that permeated the air as she walked in. "How's your hand?" She asks him, after letting out a long sigh.

"It's good." He says, lifting his hand to show her.

"Well, that's wonderful." She smiles, "Daddy, please answer my question."

"Oh, I'm sorry darling. Why don't you just use your new ones?" He says distractedly.

"I don't have time to break those in, I have that recital tonight, remember?" She says, "Where did I put them?" She mutters to herself, as her head looks frantically around her.

"Did you check in the basement? You were dancing all night, maybe you left them there?" He says, putting down the egg and grabbing another one from the fridge.

"But I brought them up with me when I finished. I know they're not there." She groans.

"Maybe you sleep-danced and you weren't aware that you left them there." He offers jokingly, clearly proud of himself.

"I don't sleep dance. That's absurd, daddy." She says, standing up and heading to the basement.

"Mark my words. They're down there." Hiram tells Puck pointedly, "I found her collapsed on the floor last night at around twelve am- or should I say today." He says drifting off as he cracks the eggs and proceeds to mix them in the bowl.

Happy to have a conversation to participate in rather than lose himself again, he cracks a smile, "What's got her practicing so hard?"

"She's got the lead in Swan Lake." He grins proudly, "Her and her partner, Theo, bless him, were rehearsing non-stop all week."

Just as Hiram finishes his sentence, Rachel comes back from the basement, and whizzes past them with a pair of shoes in his hand, muttering a "Don't say it. I know, I'm irresponsible and all that jazz. Blah blah, I get it."

Both Puck and Hiram burst into laughter, and after they've calmed down, they fall back into casual conversation. They discuss school, football, and glee. Twenty minutes later, Rachel walks back down into the kitchen, wearing dark stockings and a sleeveless blue dress, covered in stars.

"Berry, you're gonna freeze." Puck says, eyeing her appreciatively, "You look hot, but you're totally gonna turn blue by second period."

Hearing his daughter, Hiram turns around, and stifles a gasp, "Honey, put on a sweater or something, you don't want to catch pneumonia on your big day."

"Relax, the both of you." She rolls her eyes, "I have a high threshold for cold weather. It doesn't bother me at all. I'm actually hot right now."

"Mhhhmm." Puck agrees, "Damn straight you are." He smirks, saying it low so her father doesn't hear.

"That's highly inappropriate, Noah, but thank you." She smiles politely.

"Sweetie, you're not going out without a sweater. Go back upstairs and cloth yourself. I want you around for a few more decades, so go get a sweater." Hiram orders, as he pours the mix into the waffle iron.

"Fine." She sighs, "But if I get heat exhaustion and die, you'll be sorry. I'm going to haunt you." She crosses her arms.

"That's all right, dear. It means I get to see you even after your stupidity has taken you away from me, so I win both ways. Now go." He says, closing the waffle iron with a huge grin on his face.

"Coffee or juice, son?" Hiram asks Puck as Rachel huffs and leaves the kitchen, wiping his hands on his apron, "Or do you prefer tea?"

Overwhelmed by the kindness and acceptance he was receiving from the man in front of him, he couldn't help but crack a smile at the warm feeling he was feeling in the pit of his stomach. He also couldn't help but wonder if this is what it felt to have a father, which immediately caused the smile on his face to falter just a little. "How about all three?" He jokes, attempting a laugh.

"Way to break the indecision, my boy! I'll have that as well." He chuckles happily.

As soon as the waffles are ready to be served, and the coffee is poured, and the tea is off the stove, Hiram hands Puck a plate, and gets one for himself after placing the four mugs and two cups on the table. Rachel comes down shortly after, wearing a light beige cardigan, lined with red stripes at the hem. "Happy?" She asks the occupants of the kitchen, twirling, before crossing her arms, and eyeing them questioningly.

"Ecstatic!" Her father smiles, lifting his cup of juice as if to make a toast, "To a long life free from pneumonia and paranormal activity!"

Laughing, Puck clinks his glass with Hiram, both taking huge gulps. Rachel rolls her eyes, and heads over to the fridge. "Come and eat, sweetie. This is delicious, if I do say so myself, isn't it, Noah?"

"Damn right." He answers, muffled as his mouth is stuffed with waffles.

"Daddy, you're well aware of the restrictions of my diet." She says, grabbing a bottle of water, and an apple as she sits down across her father and Puck.

"Yes, but I was hoping that you got over that phase." Hiram says, taking a sip of coffee.

"It's not a phase, it's a lifestyle." She says, taking a bite of her apple.

"A lousy lifestyle." Puck mutters, "Live a little, Berry."

"Yes, darling, live a little." Hiram nods his agreement; "You have wisdom beyond your years, Noah. A toast to you!" He raises his mug this time.

Rachel scoffs, "I'm going to leave now." She says, grabbing her school bag and throwing it over one shoulder while reaching for her out and slinging it over her other shoulder, "I'm going straight to ballet after school, so I won't come back home. I'll see you at the recital, okay?" She says, leaning to place a kiss on her daddy's cheek.

"All righty, sunshine." He says, "Don't overwork yourself, you'll do great." Hiram says, patting her head, "Noah, is your car here or would you like Rachel to drop you off?"

"No, that's fine-"

"Noah, I doubt you have any books at home and it's a Friday, there's no football practice today. Carpooling is good for the environment, just come on." She sighs, "Daddy won't take no for an answer. Notice how he's glaring at me and motioning to you."

Puck looks back and sure enough, Hiram was motioning to Puck with his head but as soon as Hiram sees him turn, he tries to cover it up by pretending to stretch his neck. "Sure, Berry. I know how hot you are for me, no need to blame your dad." He smirks.

"Your charm is undeniable, Noah." She says, rolling her eyes as she strains herself with the bags in her hand.

"Here, let me help." Puck offers, taking both bags of her shoulder with ease.

She looks at him, wide eyed, and surprise coloring her features, "Um- well, that's very kind of you, Noah. I appreciate-"

"Just says thanks, Berry." He laughs, opening the front door for her, gesturing for to go first.

"Wow- uh- I mean, thanks." She blushes, laughing softly, "Bye, daddy!" She calls out.

"Have fun, darling. Learn things! You too, Noah." He yells from the kitchen.

They make their way down the path to the driveway; Rachel stops as she notices that Puck is no longer walking by her side and instead five steps behind her, staring at the driveway, "That's your car?" He asks disbelievingly, still eyeing the white Mercedes G50 before him.

"Yes, my father's just bought it for me this past summer." She answers joyfully, "What's wrong with your face?"

"I don't know, it just doesn't seem like your type of car." He says, shaking his head, "And for one, it's huge and you're tiny."

"I'm well with in range of the average height for a girl my age." She says, a slight tinge of annoyance in her voice.

"A twelve year old?" He chuckles, opening the passenger door.

"Hush, or you're walking to school." She says, narrowing his eyes at him.

"Your dad would kick your ass. I think he loves me." He grins, "And plus, I'm injured." He pouts sadly. "You wouldn't do that to me, would you?"

"Whatever." She sighs, as she pulls out of the driveway, "Speaking of, what were you doing here this morning?" She asks curiously.

"Taking a walk." He answers calmly, toying with the radio.

"What happened to your hand?" She asks, looking at him from the corner of her eye.

"I punched a sidewalk." He answers, playing the album in her CD player.

"Why?" She asks, not happy with his vague answers.

"What's with the twenty questions? Just drop it." He tells her, "I know this song." He adds as he recognizes the opening guitar melody. She makes a move to speak, but he lifts a hand, motioning for her to be quiet. He starts beating his hands to the beat, "This is Green Day! Nice, Berry. Didn't know you liked this kind of music."

"Noah-" But just as she tries to speak again, the first verse is sung, and Puck has the most confused look on his face.

"Wait- this doesn't sound like Billie Joe Armstrong?" Puck cuts her off, glaring at her speakers. "What is this?"

"It's the original Broadway cast recording of American Idiot, it's a musical. It's really good, I think you'd like it." She answers, "It's all rock music and no- how would you put this- _gay stuff_."

"You're telling me Green Day has a thing in Broadway?" He asks, flabbergasted.

"The correct phrase would be _a show on Broadway_, but yes, they do. It's basically a musical adaptation of their album." She explains, coming to halt at the stoplight. "It's really quite amazing."

"I guess there's hope for you yet, Berry." He chuckles, seeing a smile tug at her lips.

Just then Rachel's phone rings, and she looks away from the road, as the stoplight turns green, "Noah, would you mind handing me my phone? It's in my bag."

"You're driving, I can't do that." He smirks as he sees her face scrunch up in frustration.

She sighs, "You're right, but can you just answer and hold it in my ear. You'll secure our safety that way, and I get to answer my phone."

"Sounds like a plan." He says, shoving his hand in her bag, and grabbing her phone, "Theo?"

"Answer it." She urges, "before he hangs up."

"Is he your boooooyfriend?" He mocks.

"No, you know that I'm dating Finn. Now, please, hand me the phone." She pleads.

"Oh my gosh! Are you cheating on your Finn?" He gasps dramatically.

"Noah- oh good, he hung up." She sighs, "What's wrong with you? Would it have killed you to help me out?"

"Probably. So who's the dude?" He asks, waving the phone at her.

"He's my dance partner in ballet." She says, smiling as she sees an open parking space close to the door.

"Dance partner? He's a ballerina?" He scoffs, trying to stifle his laughter.

"Yes, and he's a very beautiful dancer, so save whatever clever insults that pea brain of yours is conjuring up for someone who cares." She says, grabbing her bag, and unbuckling her seatbelt.

"Ouch, that hurt, Rach." He smacks his chest playfully. "So, is he gay?"

"Just because he's a dancer you immediately assume he's gay?" She asks, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah!" He says obviously.

"You wouldn't say that if you saw the things he gets to do to me." She smirks smugly.

He opened his mouth to say something, but ends up closing. Finding himself speechless, he smirks at her, "Touche, Berry."

"Thank you, and now, if you'll excuse me." She says, getting out of the car.

"Wait up!" He calls after her.

"What?" She asks, turning around.

"Let me walk you to class." He says, stopping right in front of her, almost colliding with her tiny body.

"I'm going to go warm up first. Class doesn't start till about half an hour." She says as patiently as she can.

"That's okay, I know just how I can warm you up, babe." He says, wrapping an arm around her waist, and pulling her towards him.

"Noah, don't." She says, placing her hands on his chest and pushing him away.

"Don't what?" He asks, confused.

"I'm your best friend's girlfriend, don't you think this is inappropriate?" she gestures to the small space between their bodies.

Puck totally forgot about Finn. Spending a morning like this one would probably mess with his rational thinking, so he pulls his hands away from her waist, and shoves them in his pockets, but determined to have Rachel around him at all times, he sighs "Fine, I'll just watch." He says, but seeing the look of uncertainty on his face, he decides to play it safe, "Come on, I'm bored. There's no one here."

"Okay, I guess." She sighs, "Let's go inside."

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**Author's Note #2: **That's it for Chapter two! I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please review :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: **First off, I would just like to take this time to clear the air on a recent review I received. I sent an message to the reviewer to clear up the misunderstanding but I'm not sure it got there. So, to **summer81888 **Can I just say that I have no idea how my reply came off as a negative one. I in no way meant to 'berate' you in it or give off a lack of gratitude. I also in no way insinuated that I was not grateful. I thanked you for the one worded review (which I might add was equipped with a (:P) emoticon to show you that it was all in good fun) I also thanked you for the encouragement (To which you thought I was being condescending, I think? I don't know exactly) But on the contrary, I meant it as a genuine thank you. Although it was one word, it was very expressive, and I was grateful to you for offering the encouragement to proceed with the story. I have no idea how this silly misunderstanding came to be, but I do apologize if I have offended you, but know that my words have a way of failing to convey tone via the internet so they may come as something they're not. It was simply that a misinterpretation of words.

As for me lacking originality in naming the characters, well, that's due to the the fact that they're not really mine to originate. Remember, this is fanfiction. I don't own the characters and seeing as Puck's family had an apparent given name in the realm of fanfiction, I didn't dwell on that. And as for Rachel's parents, those are their official names, or at least they are to my knowledge. I'm not gunning for originality where that is concerned, I'm just practicing my writing.

And as to why I call Puck "Puck" in the flashbacks? Well, that's because from the narrative perspective, I don't have a personal connection with him. I have this affinity to the alternate personalities that is Noah and Puck so I reserve each of them for their proper place in the story. From an objective perspective, I call him Puck. But when his family or in this case, Rachel, speak to him, they call him Noah.

I hope I've cleared the air. Also, I sort of wanted to get this chapter uploaded as fast as I could so that I can clear my name (In addition to having a class in twenty minutes -_-), so if there are any grammatical and spelling mistakes, I apologize in advance.

Back to the story, read and enjoy!

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Puck and Rachel make their way towards the school doors, walking side by side. As they approach the front entrance, Puck runs ahead and opens the door for her, bowing slightly, and motioning his hands for her to go in first. He smirks as he looks up at her. She stops abruptly, clutching the strap of her bag closely to her chest as she stares at him blankly. She's more than slightly surprised at the gesture; this is the boy who makes it a habit to ignore her existence after all. Getting a hold of herself, she raises her eyebrow and crosses her arms against her chest, "What's your angle?" She asks, scrunching up her face as she ponders the possibilities of what could have possessed him to act so chivalrously.

"Nothing." he shrugs, leaning back into a standing position, "Is it so hard to believe that I can be a nice guy?"

Her face softens as she uncrosses her arms, and lifts her bag higher on her shoulder. "Well, yes, Noah. It is."

His features fall into a frown, "Dude, I don't throw slushies in your face anymore, do I? I haven't tossed Kurt in anymore dumpster either." He defends himself quickly as he follows her into the building.

Her lips tug into a half smile, and she gives him a look from the corner of her eye. "But that's all, isn't it? I mean, it's not exactly common courtesy for you to bully people, Noah, and you doing so then stopping doesn't make you a nice person either. Nor does it- for me at least, immediately register as an act of kindness in my book." she says, reaching her locker, and turning the combination.

"So what you're trying to say is that you hate me?" He frowns, a slight twinge of anger sprinkling his words.

"That's not it all." She reassures him with a sweet smile, before going back to opening her locker, "If anything, I feel indifferent." She shrugs, opening her bag to pull out a book, "Aside from our confrontations in glee, and well- whenever you _do _decide tomake it to Temple, I really don't see a reason for us to interact and therefore I'm not entitled to give you a valid opinion of where my current emotional flow resides when it comes to you. So in the meantime, indifference is appropriate."

"So you don't care whether I live or die?" he says, leaning against the locker as he stares her down.

"You never gave me a reason to." She says, looking him in the eye as she shuts her locker and heads down the hall before he has a chance to respond.

"What?" He shakes his head at the sudden confusion and sees that she's already half way down the hall, " The choir room is that way!" he shouts, pointing to the other direction.

"I'm aware." She says, not bothering to look over her shoulder.

"Shit." he mutters, running after her. Deciding that he would not let her have the last word and have him feel guilty for it, he chooses to do what he does best, "I never gave you a reason to like me? I'm a stud, babe. I don't need a reason. That's what the guns are for." He says, flexing his arms in front of her.

"As I said before, your arms are lovely, Noah." She sighs, stopping to place a hand on his arm and pushing it away, "But so is half the football team's arms, but you don't see me fanning over them or having them over for tea, do you?" She raises her brow, and gives him a look that clearly conveys a 'now-go-away-you-poor-clueless-thing'

At that, he grabs her around her wrist tightly, yanking her to a stop a little to aggressively, causing her to let out a surprised yelp, and a hissing sound at the pain.

"Sorry." He says, lessening his grip on her, but stepping forward to get closer to her, "But I thought I heard you say something about how the football team has better guns than me or some nonsense like that." He laughs, "Isn't that weird?" He asks her, disbelief coloring his features in a sarcastic way.

"Noah, please, let get of me." She says calmly, "And I believe that is what you heard. So now, if you'll excuse me, I really need to get going."

"No, take it back." He says, tugging her back as she tries to leave, "Take it back."

"Nope." She says defiantly, "I stand by my statement."

"Babe, you're delusional." He says, "Or blind."

"Don't call me that." She says pointedly "And as for my mental health, the fabulous McKinley high school population has a fixation on reminding me of that every single day so excuse if I don't give a rat's bottom. And frankly, by their and your standards, I'd seem mental because of my obviously superior intelligence and maturity, so maybe you do have a point." She says, pulling her hand from his grasp, and rushing into the ballet room across the hall.

"Mind fuck." He mutters, quickly following her tracks.

She stops at the door, and turns around, "What do you want with me, Noah? Why are you following me around?"

"I told you, I'm bored." He shrugs.

"You're always bored. Don't you usually take a nap at this hour? I'm sorry but this all too weird. Breakfast. Giving you a ride. You, here. I'm a little wary as to what your intentions are." She tells him honestly, not bothering to beat around the bush.

Before he has a chance to answer, the door behind Rachel flies open with a tall, skinny yet built, and unfamiliar guy standing beside it, "Oh, thank god! Where have you been? I've been trying to call you for the past hour? I'm freaking out here!"

"Sorry, Theo. Noah, here, stole my phone." She says, gesturing to the bewildered Puck standing before him.

Coming back to his sense, he jerks his head towards her, "No, I didn't."

"You didn't let me answer. Same thing." She says, shoving past the both of them.

"No, it isn't." He mutters. "'Sup, tinker bell." He nods at Theo.

He just rolls his eyes, "How mature." Turning back to Rachel, he says "I spoke to Miss Pillsbury and principal Figgins, they agreed to let us have first period off, and Mr. Matheson is out sick so we could ditch the substitute for second period." He takes her bag from her, and pulls out her work out clothes and Pointe shoes, "Go on." He says, thrusting her clothes at her.

"Is that really necessary, I mean we've been practicing all week. I could do this in my sleep." She says, taking her clothes.

"I'm certain you can, sweetie, but I'm afraid I don't trust myself that well. This is everything for me. So, please, for my sake, go get dressed." He smiles encouragingly, nodding at the dressing room.

"Fine." She smiles back, giving into a small laugh.

"You go to this school?" Puck asks as soon as Rachel leaves the room, "I've never seen you around here."

"I just transferred here this year." He says, bending over to stretch out his legs.

"I never see you around." He says, tilting his head trying to place his face, "With you being a dancer, wouldn't you be a prime target for slushy attacks and dumpster tosses?"

"Dude." Theo scoffs, "Look at me. Aside from being gorgeous, I'm six foot two, a black belt, and have been known to be a part of various illegal street races across town. I'm intimidating as hell. No one can touch me." He says confidently, "Except Rachel." He smirks as he looks at the way Puck's face scrunch up in annoyance.

Personally, Puck had no problem with the dude, but the way the two speak about each other with that knowing smirk after, kind of pissed him off. He recalled Rachel's comment in the parking lot and now this. He wasn't amused, not at all. Finn was his best friend and he didn't need another girl screwing him over, especially with dancy MCtoodles over here. "Ha ha, very funny."

"I'm also funny too. Thanks for reminding me." He laughs jokingly. "So you staying to watch?"

This guy has a way of making things sound creepy, Puck thinks to himself, but he'll be damned if anyone makes him sound like Jewfro, so regaining his composure, he answers, "I guess. Don't have anything better to do. And plus, I'll get a good laugh at seeing you make a fool of yourself." He grins.

"Glad to be of service." He rolls his eyes, going back to his warm up.

Rachel comes in shortly after, wearing a pair of tight black Capri pants, and a tank top worn under a loosely fit light sweater falling over one shoulder, and hanging of her body like a swirl of fabric instead of an actual article of clothing. Her stomach was clearly visible seeing as that sorry excuse for a shirt hardly reached her waist. Her sweater wasn't zipped up so he was surely in for a show. She had those weird shoes on he saw this morning accompanied with leg warmers on both legs, which he was disappointed to see covered. Overall, he thought she looked amazing, even if he couldn't distinguish what she was wearing. "Are you seriously going to stay here, Noah?"

"Yep, babe." He says, throwing his bag on the floor and leaning against the nearest wall, "I'm not going anywhere, so move that body for me."

"You see what I have to deal with?" She sighs, looking over at Theo, and pressing her forehead to his chest.

"Did you warm up at home?" She nods into his chest, "Okay then, let's get started. You've got the Black Swan variation down, right?" She nods again. "Let's pick it up from the lift in act two then. I have a feeling I'm gonna drop you tonight."

"Don't think about dropping me, Theo. I swear to god- I'm kind of psychic so I know what goes on in that head of yours, so just don't think about it, okay?" She tells him, poking him in the chest before she walks over to the other end of the room. She hears Puck laugh, but just rolls her eyes, and gets into position. She starts twirling around, lifting her self on her toes, with her hands outstretched in front of her.

Puck finds himself staring at her feet in mild horror and amazement. He's sure his feet would fall off if he ever tried that but hers were still intact even after the one-hundredth time she stood on them. "Wow." He breathes. And he's not sure, but he thinks he saw a smile on her face, but he can't be certain since she's twirling at two hundred miles per hour. She stops, and starts a graceful run towards Theo and as she approaches him, he grabs her around the waist, and lifts her above his head, causing Puck's eyes to go wide. He stands up straighter, and watches her carefully. His eyes narrow and his lips settle into a scowl as he sees Theo's hands roam across her stomach. '_You wouldn't say that if you saw what he gets to do to me.'_

"Touché, Berry." He mutters under his breath. "Tou-fucking-che."

Not being able to stand the thoughts in his head, he storms out of the room, making his way to the gym. Not bothering to change his clothes or wrapping his knuckles up, he starts punching the bag in front of him repeatedly, aggressively, with tears welling at his eyes as new thoughts take over the images of Rachel he had in his head just a few minutes ago. He doesn't care that he's probably doing more damage to his hand, and instead relishing in the physical pain overwhelming the emotional one. "Why. Why. Why." He grunts with each pull of his fists colliding with the punching bag. He hisses as the pain as it finally takes toll on him and the bandage wrapped around his knuckles starts coloring red. "Why can't I fucking get rid of you?" He sighs, falling to the floor. He promises himself every year that this year would be the last one he'd allow himself to mourn his loss or hate for his father and what he did. Indifference. Isn't that what Berry said this morning? Yes. That's what he'll feel from now on, but how? The difference between the relationship with Rachel and him, and him with his father, was that his father gave him a reason to hate.

It's not that he missed his father, no. He hated him and that much was obvious, he never wanted to see him again. He vowed to never forgive him for what he did. Although, he did miss the promise of what could have been. If his father had never left, would he be the same person he is today? Aside from being a jerk to the public eye, he thought he was a pretty decent guy. He wouldn't let anyone know that of course, but he didn't care about anyone else, so why would it matter? His mother and sister liked him well enough and that was all he needed. He was good to his mother and his sister never complained. So if anything, he should thank his father for the man he has become, right? Knocking up Quinn wasn't the brightest idea, but he followed through. He did the right thing; he was there for his kid while it counted. And that was because he didn't want to be like his father. His father was a standard for failure, and he had steered clear away from crossing that line. But he gave his daughter away; he left her. He did the same thing his father did and that's what made him go over the edge.

"Fuck." He mumbles, "I need a drink."

Never being the one to commit to any of his resolutions, he stands up and makes his way back to the ballet room to get his bag and head out to the nearest bar. He'll achieve indifference through intoxication. He thinks that's a logical plan.

As he nears the room, he hears a sharp cry coming through the door. Not bothering to think about who it could have been, he runs into the room and sees Rachel on the floor, lying on her back with her hands clutching the side of her waist as she lifts her back off the ground, with Theo hovering over her muttering, "I'm sorry" over and over again. "Are you okay?" Theo asks her, not knowing where to put his hands.

"I told you not to think about it." She groans.

"Berry, I heard- what happened?" He asks, kneeling beside her.

"Nothing-" Theo starts, grimacing as he see the look of pain on her face.

"Stupid Theo dropped me." She whines, "Ahhh." She cries as she starts to get up.

"Shit." Theo says, rubbing the back of his neck," I don't know how it happened, I had you-"

"Make yourself useful and go call the nurse." Puck tells him, pointing at the door, before looking back at Rachel.

"Get back here." She manages to say in between pants. "I'll be fine."

"Don't listen to her." Puck says, glaring daggers into his eyes "Go get the fucking nurse. Now."

"But-"

"I said, now." He says menacingly.

He brushes her hair away from her face as soon as Theo leaves, "You'll be okay, Rach." She doesn't say anything, but he sees her close her eyes tightly as she tries to regain her proper breathing. His gaze falls on her stomach as he sees her ribs threatening to cut through her skin, "You need to breath, babe. Slowly, okay?"

She nods her head as she opens her eyes to look at him, "I can't." She says but it comes out as more of a whimper.

"Look at me." He says, grabbing her hands, "Now, inhale." He tells her, "Exhale." He says, pressing down on her stomach. "You can do it. Slowly, come on."

After her breathing slows down a little bit, she makes a move to sit up, but Puck's hand stops her, "Don't move. Let the nurse figure you out first."

"Thank you, Noah. I appreciate the help, but I'm used to this, I'll be fine. I've had far worse falls than this." She chuckles as she moves his hand away. "This one was just particularly strenuous."

"Rachel, you're skin is turning blue." He says, pointing to her back.

She stands up, facing away from the mirror, and turning her head over her shoulder, "Oh, well, look at that." She shrugs, going to her bag and grabbing a bottle of water.

"You could hardly breathe a second ago. What the hell?" He says, placing a hand on her shoulder, and turning her around to face him.

"Noah, you play football, right?" She asks, licking her lips as she closes the bottle of water.

"What does that have to do with anything?" He scrunches his face up in confusion.

"I'll take that as a yes. It was simply a transition in a form of a rhetorical question. Anyway, back to the point, when someone tackles you, don't you take time to recover? And in that moment is it not only because you were over exerting yourself before being pummeled into the ground that you take a moment to compose yourself?"

"I guess?" He nods, his brows furrowed.

"Well then, it's the same thing here." She shrugs, "Simple as that."

"So you're okay?" He asks again, "I mean, I was pretty sure your ribs were gonna break out and stab me just a minute ago."

"Don't be over dramatic, Noah." She rolls her eyes, "I'll go call Theo, poor thing, he's going to have a heart attack."

"_You_'re the one that got dropped by his clumsy hands." He says, "And he's the one that's gonna get a heart attack?" He adds with a scoff.

"This recital is very important for him. Representatives from various dance institutes are going to be there for scholarship consideration. It's his future. He can't mess it up." She says, her thumbs fidgeting with the phone as she sends him a text telling him everything is all right, "And now he thinks he will."

"No shit. You can get a scholarship for dancing?" He asks, genuinely surprised.

"Yes." She chuckles, placing her phone back in her bag.

"So what's in it for you then?" He asks, watching as she goes back to stand in her first position.

"He needed the best, and I was there." She smiles at him through the mirror, stretching her hand out to flex her back. "The satisfaction is good enough for me."

"Conceited much?" He raises his brow.

"I just know what I am." She says confidently, her voice strained by the stretch.

"I guess I can't argue with you there." He says amusedly, tilting his head for his eyes to follow her body.

She offers him a genuine appreciative smile and he smirks back. Theo comes in five minutes later still rambling on with his apologies. Rachel grabs his face in both hands and tells him to calm down and that they'll just try it again.

Puck doesn't wait a second more, throwing his bag over his shoulder and walking out the front door. As he gets to the parking lot, it dawns on him that he didn't come to school with his car today, so he'll have to find an alternate means of transportation.

He spots Finn getting out of his car a few feet away, and he makes a bee line towards him. "Hey, dude."

"Hey." Finn grins at him, glad to see his friend isn't drunk, hungover, or dead. "What's up?"

"I need your car." He says quickly.

"Why?" Finn asks, confused. "What happened to yours?"

"I, well- I caught a ride with a- friend, so mine's at home." He didn't think Finn would take too kindly to the fact that he spent his entire morning with his girlfriend.

"But class is about to start, where are you going?" Finn asks, worried that he may be up to something he'd end up having to clean up after.

"Dude, just-" He sighs, "Are you gonna give me the damn keys or not?"

"I don't know- What happened to your hand?" Finn asks as he notices his the dry blood on his knuckles.

"You know what, whatever. I'll just walk." He says, pushing past him, "Thanks."

"Hey! Where are you going?" Finn asks.

"Nowhere that concerns you." He says sarcastically, "But you shouldn't worry about me. You should go check on your girlfriend instead." He adds, turning around and walking backwards away from him.

"What?" Finn's brow furrows in confusion, "What are you talking about?"

"Did you know we have a ballet room?" Puck asks, raising his eyebrows, "Yeah, go check it out." He tells him, turning to walk away. "Later!" He calls over his shoulder.

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**Author's note: **So, tell me what you think?


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the delay, you guys. But it's flu season, and I have a terrible immune system, and thus I've been more than a little under the weather these past couple of weeks and have been physically unable to conjure up any words let alone think up a story. So in lieu of having you wait even more, I wrote this up instead of a Critical Thinking assignment I have due in five hours. You see, I'm nice. Also, I have mad procrastinating skills that only get better with time. I think it just may qualify as a superpower, but I don't know yet. I have to consult the Justice League or something.

And as usual, I apologize for any grammatical and spelling mistakes. I think I may still be high off of cough medicine, sleep, and Advil.

Anywho, read and enjoy! Sidenote: For each review you give, a fairy is saved! Wait, no- Sorry, that was a lie. I'm a horrible person, I shouldn't have said that. Let's rephrase, for each review you give, a fragment of my soul will repent and eventually, I'll stop lying. See, you're helping the greater good! You know what, I'll just stop talking now.

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Puck didn't want to dwell on the fact that his confrontation with Finn made him want to go jump off a bridge. He didn't understand why he always had to like the girl Finn was with. Was it some sort of inferiority complex his subconscious was humoring him with? He never felt that Finn was better than him. Sure, people thought Finn was a nicer guy, but other than that, he didn't have anything on Puck. He was a jerk by choice so he never took that personally. He didn't want to let people in, and so he built a wall and sprayed asshole on it in huge letters. That kept people away, and it's been working like a charm ever since. A part of him thinks it's because he and Finn are the same in the sense that they don't have a father. When people see Puck, they see a mindless jock; they forget the loss of his father. When people see Finn, they see a nice boy whose father would've been proud of had he lived. And that's another thing, Finn's dad didn't leave by choice; he didn't abandon his family; he didn't betray them. Finn just fell victim to the way of life, whereas Puck got shit thrown in his face and was told to clean it up. Wasn't it his right to be angry? Wasn't it expected to have all this pent up frustration projected into this persona in which people understood at least? But why would anyone understand if he didn't ever let anyone in? It was his fault. Maybe going after Finn's girls was a way to prove to himself that he's as- if not more than worthy to be their boyfriend than Finn is. It's not pretty, but that's psychology for you.

As he turns another corner, he tries, really tries not to think about her. Even after all this inner monologue and guilt over stealing Finn's girls, he can't help it. He revisits that image in his head of Rachel coming out of the dressing room, and this time he takes his time to appreciate it instead of trying to back it out of his mind. He lifts his hands and caresses the air as if it was her; drawing her silhouette with his finger. To anyone walking on the street or driving their car, he'd look like a crazy person, but he didn't care. In his defense, he was vulnerable and dealing with his father, so he allowed himself this one chance to feel something other than horrible. He blames this sudden fixation on her body on that morning's confrontation with her. He convinces himself that he's only appreciating her assets and not engaging in any of that emotional drama baggage. And plus, Finn doesn't have to know.

As he finally nears his destination, he feels simultaneously happy and sick to his stomach. Of all things, here we was, fantasizing over his best friend's girl outside a bar. He wasn't impressed with his ability to completely forgo his father in his thought process, but how could he even congratulate himself on that when he was at risk of betraying his best friend yet again. It didn't matter that it was all in his mind. The thought alone was enough. Just then, his phones rings, and speak of the devil, he sees her name on his screen. He silences his phone, not wanting to answer even if he really did want to hear her voice. He decides he needs a drink.

He goes inside the bar, finding his way to his usual spot. He flashes his fake ID and orders a beer. His phone starts vibrating and he suppresses a groan as he reaches for it, pulling it out to find that an unknown number is calling him. He scrunches his face up trying to figure out whose number it is but ends up just giving in and answering his phone, "Hello."

"Greetings and salutations, oh grumpy one." The caller greets him enthusiastically.

"Who the fuck is this?" Puck grumbles into his phone.

"It's Theo." He answers, "Do I sound different on the phone or are you just daft in the head?"

"Do I know you?" Puck asks, nodding at the bartender as he hands him a beer.

"Um, you just met me this morning, you twat." Theo answers, slightly appalled.

"The hell's a twat? And I don't remember a Theo." Puck tells him, downing the bottle of beer in one sip.

"Dancy Mcdoodles?" Theo sighs.

"Oh yeah, you." Puck recalls with a small laugh, "Why are you calling me?"

"What exactly did you tell Rachel's dimwit boyfriend was happening with us?" Theo asks him, clearly frustrated.

"Nothing, I just told him to check out the ballet room." Puck answers innocently.

"Well, thanks a lot, Mr. Nothing, because now Rachel has taken time off our rehearsal to do some damage control in the form of that idiot shoving his tongue down her throat- shit, I think he's gonna rip her clothes off at any second. OI, GET A ROOM!" Puck hears him shout on the other side of the phone.

"Dude, stop yelling." Puck groans into the phone.

"Well, this is all your fault. How do I get him off her? We need to practice." Theo practically whines.

"Get him off her? What's going on?" Puck asks, genuinely confused at this predicament.

"Well, I can't be certain, but it seems as if he's- oh wait, he is most definitely fondling her breasts. He has her pinned up against the wall. How do I stop this?" Theo yells frantically.

"Fuck, I dunno. S'not my problem." Puck says distractedly.

"You caused this." Theo insists.

"I didn't fucking cause anything. You weren't doing anything wrong when he came in, were you? I mean you were just dancing. What's she need damage control for? I don't get it."

"I may have had my hand strategically placed in a somewhat personal region at the time he came in through the door." Theo explains awkwardly.

"What do you mean?" Puck asks expectantly.

Theo sighs, "I had my hand on her breast."

"And Finn saw that?" Puck laughs, "What were you touching her boobs for anyway?"

"Do you honestly blame me for copping a feel? I mean ballet is not exactly my forte when it comes to dance but it gets you a scholarship so I went for it. And excuse me if I don't take advantage of spending every waking second with a beautiful girl and not get to-"

"Okay, cowboy. Calm down." Puck chuckles, "So he comes in and sees you touching her boob and I assume he starts yelling?"

"That's about it." Theo mutters, "And then she tries to convince him nothing is going on. And now he has his hands all over her. It's bloody annoying is what it is. He won't leave!"

"Do you know how to hit a high F?" Puck asks him, completely serious.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Theo asks, confused.

"It'll get her attention." Puck shrugs.

"Fine, I'll try it." Theo says, "You will be hearing from me if this doesn't work. Good day."

"Sure." Puck says, shutting off his phone completely.

Meanwhile, back at school, Theo pockets his phone, and places his hand on his stomach, preparing to belt out the note. As he let's the note fly out of his mouth, Finn breaks off the kiss, and moves his hand away from under Rachel's shirt. Rachel's face looks apologetic and she tries to give him a sheepish smile and shrugs, "Sorry?"

"Excuse me, not that this isn't fun, but could we please get back to rehearsal?" Theo asks, crossing his arms.

"Finn, sweetie." Rachel says, placing her hands on his chest, "I promise you, we're just practicing. Okay?"

"Fine, baby." He says, giving her a small peck on the lips, "Keep your hands off my girl." He says pointedly towards Theo.

"That's quite a hard task seeing as that I'm required by the choreography to-"

"You know what I mean." He says threateningly, cutting him off.

"Finn, there's no need to be rude. He was merely stating a fact." Rachel says, trying to break the ice.

"No, he was being a smartass." Finn says, his eyes not leaving Theo's.

"I would say I was offended, but smartasses are cool so I guess I'll take that as a compliment." Theo considers thoughtfully.

"Theo, just shush, okay? You're not making things any easier." Rachel says, her voice caught between calm and a tornado, with her hands placed on Finn's arm.

"Talk about your buzz kill, eh?" Theo jokes, punching Finn on the shoulder. Taking in his glare, his face falls into a frown. "Fine, I'll shut up." He holds up his hand in surrender.

"I'll see you at lunch." Finn says to Rachel, giving her a quick kiss on the lips before leaving the room.

"He seemed to have liked me, don't you think?" Theo grins proudly, "I'm just too charming for my own good." He says, running a hand through his hair, and smoothing down his shirt.

"Was that really necessary?" Rachel sighs, crossing her arms.

"Yes, that idiot totally just wasted valuable time in which we could have been perfecting our lift." He says as he twirls in place before mimicking her move and crossing his own arms, leaning down to narrow his eyes at her, "I'm surprised you're still breathing. I thought you would have died from asphyxiation or something."

"He's not an idiot and your particular brand of humor would be put to better use if it wasn't used at all. Let's just get this done." Rachel says before going back into position, "And keep your hands away from- you know, _there_." She says, motioning to her chest.

"Will do, your highness." He bows mockingly.

"God help me." She mutters, a soft smile tugging at her lips.

They spend the next hour practicing their piece and by the end of it, Theo manages to perfect the lift and successfully do it without dropping Rachel on her head. They part ways to go to their classes and as Rachel walks down the hall, she bumps into Kurt and Mercedes, "Hello there miss-I-skipped-math-class-for-the-first-time-ever-and-have-a-reasonable-explanation-for-it-which-may-or-may-not-have-to-do-with-the-hickey-on-my-neck."

"That's an awfully long name and I do believe I haven't changed it recently so that can't possibly be mine." She says jokingly, walking in step with them.

"That's besides the point, darling. Were you and Finn getting it on in the janitor's closet?" Kurt asks as they enter their biology class, reaching out to touch her neck with his extended finger.

"No." Rachel answers, slapping his hands away.

Kurt raises his eyebrows at her questioningly, "Really now?"

"Well, I did run into Finn but that's not what I was doing. I do value my education, you know. But to answer your question on my whereabouts, it just so happens that I have a ballet recital this evening and I was just getting some last minute practice in." Rachel answers, taking her books out of her bag.

"Hold up, why don't we know about this?" Mercedes asks.

"When did you guys ever care about any of my extra curricular activities?" Rachel asks truthfully.

"She has a point." Kurt agrees, "But the school usually posts something on the bulletin board, don't they?"

"It's not a school recital. It's at the Lima dance studio." Rachel shrugs.

"Are you dancing to anything we know?" Mercedes asks.

"Swan Lake." Rachel answers.

"Oh my!" Kurt gasps, "I'd love to see that live."

"Bunch of white girls in tutus, no thanks." Mercedes mutters under her breath.

"How nice of you, Mercedes." Rachel says curtly.

"Whatever." Mercedes shrugs.

"Would you mind if I came to see you, Rach? Please, please, please!" Kurt says, clasping his hands under his chin.

"Not that I can stop you, but sure, why not?" Rachel smiles.

"Yay!" Kurt claps happily, "Is anyone else we know participating in this? OH! Who's playing the male lead?" Kurt asks, leaning over Mercedes to talk to Rachel.

"Um, I don't think so. But Theo Gasser is dancing the male lead. He's the new transfer-"

"Oh my sweet Prada. Am I hearing this? Are you telling me that you've been dancing with that fine specimen and you haven't introduced us- well, me. Mercedes is a racist who hates white boys so she doesn't care." Kurt says, giving Mercedes a pointed look as she fixes him with a glare, and places his hand on his chest, feigning offense. "The nerve."

"Why would I? I mean- no offense, but we hardly ever converse. Well, aside from the occasional solo intervention and the every day wardrobe ridicule that is." Rachel recounts.

"Speaking of that, what's this?" He says, lifting his finger and pointing at her outfit up and down.

"It's a sweater?" Rachel says, looking down at her outfit.

"A horrible one." Kurt says, leaning back in his chair, "Did Theo see you in that?"

"Yes." She answers.

"And he didn't flee in horror?" Kurt asks.

"No. I think he may have actually appreciated it quite a bit." She answers with an inward smirk, recalling where his hands were all day.

"Oooh, drama. Look at that smile, Mercedes." He nudges her, "Do you like him?" Kurt whispers as he sees the teacher come in.

"Don't be such a gossip hound, he's just my dance partner. If anything else, a friend and nothing more." Rachel whispers back. "I have a boyfriend, remember?"

"Mercedes, move." Kurt says, pushing her chair away with his foot, "Rachel, trade places with Mercedes. You're my new best friend."

"Hell no, I ain't moving." Mercedes says, standing her ground.

"Rachel, tell me more about your _friend_." He says with a sparkle in his eye, ignoring Mercedes and pulling Rachel's chair closer.

"Mr. Hummel, would you please be quiet and pay attention." Mr. Henri calls out, "And would you kindly leave Ms. Berry's chair be."

"Sorry, sir." Kurt says sheepishly, placing his hands back on his lap.

"Back to our lesson,….."

Just after Mr. Henri goes back to his lecture, Kurt pulls out a piece of paper and writes a note and throws it over to Rachel. She scowls at him as the crumpled paper hits her on the face, startling her out of her concentration. She opens it up and reads: _After class._ She looks at him, and she sees him gesturing to himself and pointing at her as he motions to the door. She gives him a nod and goes back to taking her notes.

When class is over, Kurt wastes no time, linking his arm with Rachel's, leaving Mercedes to trail behind them, rolling her eyes at him. He proceeds to ask her exactly 137 questions about Theo and their relationship. He follows her to her next class considering they have the same one and continues with his interrogation of sorts, "So how did you guys meet?" He asks her, putting on his gloves for their chemistry experiment.

"At the audition for the ballet. He was one of the few senior applicants for the Julliard program and he needed an equally talented partner to match if not exceed his own." She says, adjusting her goggles.

"Wow, sounds like a scene from a movie." Kurt says, intrigued.

"It really doesn't." Rachel says, lifting her eyes from the paper in her hands.

"It kind of does." Kurt says, eyeing the goggles with a look of disgust.

"Whatever." She rolls her eyes, going back to reading the instructions.

"Is it true that he participates in illegal street races. I heard some of the stoners talk about the new guy which I assume is your new boyfriend-"

"He's not my boyfriend!" She tells him, raising her eyebrows at him in exasperation.

"Answer the question, dear." He tells her, "Don't think about the labels too much."

"I am not the one putting labels on anyone. As I recall, it was you." Rachel tells him, fixing him with an impressive glare.

"Gracious, just answer the question, I have fifty more I need to get in before lunch." Kurt tells her, pointing his clasp at her.

"I refuse to answer any more of your questions. They're pointless, and I'm tired." She sighs.

"You never had a problem with talking, why would you start today? Now, speak." Kurt says, ignoring her tired expression.

Taking a calming breath, she answers, "He might have mentioned it a few times."

"How did he mention it a few times?" He asks curiously.

"He invited me to come along." She answers, not looking up from her work.

"Oh sweet baby Lagerfeld." Kurt gasps, "Did you go?"

"As if. Of all people, why would I be the one to engage in such an illegal activity? Not to mention the amount of danger I would subject myself to if I were to tag along, I could never risk that." She answers, stopping whatever she was doing to look around to make sure no one was listening.

"But like, he actually asked you to go with him! Are you aware of the implication of that invite?" Kurt squeals, ignoring the looks from the teacher.

"He was being nice?" Rachel offers weakly.

"Oh sweetie, you poor thing." He shakes his head, "He likes you!"

"Don't be absurd." Rachel laughs, but stops abruptly as she sees that he's not joking, "Are you serious? Come on, Kurt, I mean seriously?"

"What? You can't say that I'm being irrational. The facts speak for themselves." Kurt says matter of factly.

"You know what, I'm not talking about this anymore." Rachel says, waving his protest away, "Pay attention or you'll lose your eyebrows."

"Oh no!" He says, reaching to touch his eyebrows, "Don't joke about that. It's bad juju."

"Bad juju?" Rachel laughs and rolls her eyes at him before directing her attention towards their experiment. Kurt jokes around throughout the hour, teasing and tugging strands of her hair playfully. And Rachel can't help but smile, because who would have thought that the key to Kurt's heart was a good story. And a cute boy, but she always knew that. She decides that although he annoyed her for the better half of her morning, she likes this Kurt; the friend.

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**Author's Note: **I know things are moving a little slow, but it's all in good time, my friends. I promise you there will be some Puckelberry confrontation goodness next chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** First off, let's start this author's note with a congratulations to out our beloved cast. They really did deserve it. Also, to Chris Colfer, who I think had the best reaction in the history of the Golden Globes. It was just pure happiness. And all those drunk interviews? Genius.

Any who, I hope you guys like this chapter. Not as much Puckelberry goodness in this one. I know, I lied. I apologize, but it's _that_ kind of story. The journey not the destination kind of story, you know?

**Apologies: **I thought this deserved a bold and a topic all on it's own. As per usual, I apologize for any grammatical and spelling mistakes. And also, for not replying to the reviews for the previous chapter. I don't know what got over me. What else? I don't know what else. I guess that's it for apologies.

Enjoy and review if you do :)

* * *

As the bell rings signaling the end of the last period before Lunch, waves upon waves of students file into the cafeteria and head over to sit down in their respectful cliques' tables. The Glee kids, of course, sit at their usual table between the jocks and the Cheerios- which was conveniently placed beside the trash. Rachel and Kurt were the last ones to arrive considering that they had their previous class together, and Kurt had insisted on retouching Rachel's face with a little bit of make-up (She was washed out after her dance rehearsal) So as they pick up their trays and sit down, Finn beams up at Rachel and pulls her down to sit next to him, "Hey baby." He says, giving her a lengthy kiss on the lips.

"Hey." She laughs against him, "What was that for?"

"Do I need a reason?" He asks, his face tilting in confusion.

"No, but I would be lying if I said that it wasn't weird." Rachel says, placing a kiss on his forehead before retracting herself from his grip, and adjusting herself on her seat.

"Diva has a point." Mercedes quipped, "You usually sit with those idiots." She says, nodding toward the jock table.

He had the decency to look a little ashamed, offering a sheepish looking grin, "Well, I'm not today." He says, wrapping an arm around Rachel.

Kurt gives Rachel a knowing look and raises his eyebrow as he sees Finn's hands move around Rachel. He nudges her side, and mouths a, "What's going on?" as he shakes his head.

She just shrugs and goes back to talking to the group. Tina was just telling them the story of how Mike's mother hijacked their date the other night. Mercedes and Kurt were arguing with their eyes across the table as they see Finn get even clingier as the conversation rolls around the table. Kurt motions for Mercedes to do something, who in turn nudges Artie and whispers something in his ear.

"Uh- hey, Finn, I totally forgot but-um, Coach asked for me and you to come talk to her during Lunch." Artie says weakly.

"What for?" Finn asks, slightly disappointed. "Can't it wait?"

"She didn't say. I think it has to do with Sam being the quarter back again." Artie says more confidently.

"Oh." He says, getting up quickly, "Let's go then. See you later, Rach." He says, giving her a quick peck on the cheek before wheeling Artie over to the back doors.

"Okay, spill." Kurt says, taking the apple from her hand and placing it on her tray. He reaches for her shoulders and turns her around to face him, "What did you do to Finn?"

"What are you talking about?" She asks, confused. "I don't-"

"Save it. Frankenteen hardly ever sits with us, Rachel." Mercedes says honestly.

"It's true." Tina offers. "What's that about?"

"Not to mention that his hands were all over you." Kurt says enthusiastically. "What's got him on edge?"

"I don't know what you are suggesting but I can assure you Finn and I are just fine." And just as the sentence falls from her lips, a frantic looking Theo walks into the cafeteria clad in grey cotton sweatpants rolled to his ankle with a pair of ballet slippers on his feet. He was also wearing a yellow King Kong themed v-neck with a green cardigan draped over it. His hair was flying all over the place and he was wearing a pair of thin wayfarer opticals. He scanned the place and as soon as he spots Rachel, he makes a beeline towards her. He wastes no time, placing his hand on Kurt's shoulders and swiftly sliding him out of the way, and swinging his feet over the chair, "Hey, doll." He says breathlessly, "Rachel's glee people." He nods to them. Kurt's eyes widen in shock as he feels his body being moved and almost chokes on his water as he turns his head to spot a very cute looking boy sitting next to him, "Well, hello there." He says, scooting a little closer as he runs a hand to smooth down his hair.

"Hell-o." Rachel says slowly.

Theo picks up the apple on her tray and takes a bite, "I think I'm going to kill myself." He says, his head colliding with the table as he groans. "No, wait." He says, lifting his head, his mouth still full, "That would be a waste." He says thoughtfully, "Perhaps maybe, I could break a chair?" He asks, turning to look at her with a hopeful expression.

"Violence is never the answer, Theo. You just need to calm down. Everything will be all right. The best approach to combat stress is to just take a few deep breaths and try to relax." Rachel says comfortingly, rubbing his back.

"What happened to you, white boy?" Mercedes asks, trying to break the awkwardness that would surely settle if they didn't contribute to the conversation.

"Are you trying to offend by that remark, because you know, I'm not." He says rather childishly.

Rachel groans, sensing Theo's inevitable brand of charm about to get the better of them, "Seriously though, what's with the sudden suicidal behavior? And why are you wearing glasses?"

"Oh, these." He takes them off and pretends to inspect them while taking another bite of Rachel's apple, "I'm pretty certain that I melted my contacts out of my eyes using sheer force of stress." He answers, grinning wolfishly. Rachel fixes him with a look that conveys a "Really now?" So yet again, his smile falters, and he gives her the real answer, "Face wash might have had something to do with it."

"Oh my." Kurt says disbelievingly, "You use face wash?"

Theo turns to face Kurt slowly, "Well, if I want to look this good by the time I'm as old as methusala, yeah, I do." he says, gesturing to his face.

"Oh wow." Kurt breathes out, placing his hand on his chest dramatically, "That is the most beautiful thing I have ever heard coming out of a straight boy's mouth."

"Who said I was straight?" He asks smugly, giving him a wink.

"Oh dear holy mother of Vera Wang, you're gay?" Kurt gasps, his eyes widening as he clutches the table.

Theo bursts out laughing, "Nah, I'm just joshing you." He says, punching Kurt in the shoulder, and receiving a glare from Rachel in return, "That wasn't funny." She tells him.

"Geez, no one in this bloody town can take a joke, can they? Theo sighs, "If it's any conciliation, I have a brother who's gay?" He says, giving Kurt a lopsided smile. "He's really pretty?" He adds in a sing song voice.

"Oh god." Rachel groans, "Just ignore him, Kurt."

"So the brother? He's real?" Kurt asks seriously.

"Totally." Theo says, a huge satisfied grin on his face, "He goes to a private school though."

"Isn't there something else you should tell him?" Rachel asks in a bored tone with an equally annoyed expression on her face.

"What?" Kurt asks worriedly.

"Oh, just a minor detail." Theo says, waving his hands in front of him, "The thing is, he's not really my brother."

"Dear lord." Rachel sighs loudly, "He's just a guy that came to pick up his sister from dance class who happened to be gay. We call him "the brother" over at the dance studio."

"Why did you say he's your brother?" Kurt asks.

"Because he's a pathological liar and he thinks he's funny." Rachel says, taking her apple back from him and taking a bite from it, which caused the glee kids to give each other suspicious looks regarding the two.

"Hey!" He says, leaning in closer to her, "I am funny."

"Hilarious." Rachel says sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Whatever." He says, grabbing a carrot from her plate, "How's your back?" He says, placing his hands on her lower back, just above where the bruise is under her shirt.

Just as she's about to answer, Finn comes barging back in, his eyes filled with rage, "I thought I told you to keep your hands off my girl." He growls.

"Oh, well, this explains things." Kurt mutters under his breath.

"This is gonna be good." Mercedes says with a grin on her face.

"Hey, Finn." Theo smiles sweetly, "I was just asking Rachel how her back was feeling after her fall this morning." He says, lifting her shirt to reveal the nasty bruise.

"THEO!" Rachel scolds, tugging her shirt back down.

"Completely innocent." Theo says, lifting his hands in surrender.

"Sweetie, are you all right?" Kurt asks sympathetically.

"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine." Rachel says before turning back to Finn, "Finn, don't make a scene. I told you there was nothing going on, just calm down."

"Oooh, jealousy has driven him mad!" Kurt whispers dramatically.

"I hope they break out into dance." Tina jokes.

"And song." Mercedes adds with a laugh.

"But Rach….." Finn says, his face softening.

"But nothing." Rachel says pointedly.

"Do you expect me to believe that after what I saw this morning-"

"I'm gay!" Theo exclaims.

"What?" Finn says, completely annoyed with his presence.

"Yes, it's true-" Theo says, giving Rachel a look to get her to play along, "I love boys."

"Oh- um, yeah- Theo is, really- very gay." She says awkwardly.

"Is that the best you got?" Theo asks Rachel with his eyebrow raised, his hands on his hips.

"Best what?" Finn asks, completely lost.

"Oh, nothing." Theo says, recovering quickly, "Any who, so there is nothing for you to worry about. I won't touch Rachel because, you know, I don't like girls." He lies flawlessly.

"Oh." Finn says, slightly embarrassed, "Cool." He says, his shoulders relaxing, and a soft smile gracing his features.

"But-" Kurt starts to say, but stops abruptly as he feels an elbow jab into his stomach.

"Jus go with it." Theo pleads in a whisper.

"Okay okay." He says quietly.

"Have any of you seen Puck today?" Mercedes asks, "Mr. Schue was looking for him in Spanish. He hasn't been to class all week."

"We have a project due next week and he hasn't even done anything." Tina says angrily.

"He didn't come to glee all week either." Kurt says, eyeing Theo from the corner of his eye, "Mr. Schue is on the rampage with sectionals in a couple of weeks."

"Um, Puck's been- he's going through a rough time now, just you know- cut him some slack." Finn says, scratching the back of his head.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asks curiously, lowering her voice so only he could hear.

"Well, don't tell him I said anything, but today's is kind of the day his dad left him and his mom. He doesn't handle it well." He told her.

"Oh." Rachel replies, slowly realizing why he was acting weird today. Although, it didn't exactly justify the way he was behaving. He was acting all sweet and friendly, she would have assumed, if anything, that he would have been angry and aggressive. The lunch hour passes by in a flash without any more discussion concerning Puck or Finn's jealousy. Kurt makes a note of talking about the whole Theo situation with Rachel without Finn's presence lest someone gets murdered.

Everyone heads his and her separate ways as the warning bell rings. Finn tells Rachel that he'll see her later, kissing her on the cheek and walking over to meet up with Sam and the rest of the jocks. Tina, Artie, and Mercedes head over to Biology while Kurt and Rachel hang back for study hall. Theo makes no move to get up, and instead leans back in his chair with a smug look on his face, "Have anything to say to me, Rach?"

Looking at him, she can't help but laugh, "Thank you for clearing Finn's suspicions, Theo, that was very nice of you." She says, kissing him on the cheek.

"Jealous Finn is kind of annoying." Kurt comments, "So what happened between you guys?"

"Nothing." Rachel answers a little to quickly.

"Yeah, okay, I'll believe that. It explains the murder in his eyes when he came in and the whole _keep your hands of my girl_ blah blah. Give me some credit, Rachel." Kurt says, mildly offended.

But before she has a chance to answer, her phone rings. She takes a minute to rummage through her bag and as she finally pulls it out and sees the name on her screen, "Noah?" She mutters inaudibly. "Hello?"

"Is this Rachel?" An unfamiliar voice asks.

"Um, yes, who's this?" Rachel asks nervously while Kurt and Theo were eyeing her curiously.

"This is Joe. I got your boy down here, and he's drunk off his socks so I need you to come down and get him before a cop finds him because I'm pretty sure his name is not Eugene Phelps, and judging by the bell ringing on your side, I'm guessing it's a fake and he's supposed to be in school." He tells her.

"Noah?" She wonders out loud. "Does he by any chance have a Mohawk?"

"Yep." He answers.

"But why are you calling me?" She asks.

"Because he's been babbling about you for the better part of my day." He tells her, "You're the Rachel with the legs, right?"

"Excuse me?" She asks, confused.

"Look, I don't have time to chat, just come down and get him." He tells her distractedly, hearing the clinking of bottles and several loud voices yelling.

"Okay, what's he address to your…. establishment?" She asks warily, avoiding Kurt's stare and looking at Theo for reassurance.

"I'm the only bar in Lima, I'm not that hard to find. And I suggest you bring someone to carry him if you're as tiny as he says you are." He laughs.

"I'm not tiny!" She yells, affording her a burst of laughter to emit from the two boys in front of her.

"Geez, calm down." Joe tells her, "I'm going to hang up now, but come get him or I'm throwing him behind the dumpsters, yeah?"

"Wait-" She starts, closing her mouth as she realizes that he hung up, "Stupid Joe." She mutters.

"What was that?" Theo asks nonchalantly.

"Was that Puck?" Kurt asks excitedly, "Why is he calling you?"

"I-I don't know." She says honestly, not bothering to tell them what the barkeeper just told her about what Puck had said, "He's at a bar and what I assume was the bartender just called to say that he needs someone to pick him up."

"Of all people- no offense- why you?" Kurt asks disbelievingly.

"None taken, but I honestly don't know." Rachel says lost in thought.

Theo looks back and forth between the two while raising his eyebrows in disbelief, "Pfft, oh _please_." He scoffs, "He was stuck to your hip this morning! Remember, the following you around like a lost puppy."

"What's that now?" Kurt asks, his eyes widening.

"He was not _stuck to my hip_. That was just- he was just…" She drifts off slowly, "He was stuck to my hip, wasn't he?" She says, looking at Theo sheepishly.

Theo just nods slowly, "So what are you going to do?"

"I though maybe I should tell Finn-"

"Sweetie, sweetie, sweetie." Kurt shakes his head, "Finn is only just coming down from his fit of jealous rage. Do you really think telling him that Puck called you is going to be a good thing?"

"But I Noah and I-"

"It doesn't matter. Puck is still a sore subject around his girlfriends, so he'll take it personally or something." Kurt says, "If anything, don't tell him for Puck. He just got his friend back after all, he doesn't need another drama."

"But there's nothing going on between us!" Rachel says frustrated, "Why would he think that? It makes absolutely no sense."

"Actually, Rach, it does." Theo says thoughtfully, "We men, we're simple beings. We don't look at all the details, just the main components. So for example, when you say-" He clears his throat, "Noah and I were helping the children in Africa." He mimics her voice impressively and looks at her pointedly before gesturing back to himself, "Finn will hear, Noah and I- and that's all from you and this is where his mind fills in the blanks and seeing as sex is the dominating thought in the male brain he'll hear- were _fucking_ in Africa." He tilts his head, stretching his mouth to the left as he nods.

"That sounds like complete nonsense." Rachel says disgustedly, "And must you be so degrading in your choice of words?"

"Boys are also very dirty little things, babe." Theo winks at her, "We can't help ourselves." He shrugs, "It's like we have this pull towards the gutter, like gravity!" He grins and fists his hand in the air dramatically. Kurt bursts into a fit of snickering and looks at Theo dreamily.

Rachel rolls here eyes at him, "So what do you propose I do?"

"I know!-"

"Theo, if this involves spaceships, ninjas, or any form of mythological creature, I suggest you- to you know, just shut up." She tells him, raising a hand to his mouth.

"Fine." He pouts, crossing his arms, "You would have ruined everything anyway."

Ignoring him, she turns to Kurt, "So?"

"I have nothing." Kurt says with a blank look.

"Great." Rachel groans.

"Tell him he called me." Theo offers, " I mean, I called him last and you could just say that the bartender guy called the last number that called him."

"Ingenious." Kurt beams.

"Why did you call him?" Rachel asks, confused.

"Because Finn was sucking your soul out of you and I needed help." Theo tells her, "And I thought he was your friend or something considering his presence in the first half of our rehearsal."

"Sucking your soul, hmm?" Kurt raises his eyebrow at Rachel, a smile slowly forming on his face, "He's thrown slushies in her face for the better- well, not better half of her high school life." He explains, turning to Theo, "So I don't think friend or something qualifies as a good label to put on him."

"He what?" Theo asks looking appalled, "That's messed up."

"He was a bully." Kurt says as if it excused him.

"She's a girl." Theo motions to Rachel's figure, "You don't mess with a girl that way unless you have no balls to confront an opponent equal in size."

"He threw me in dumpsters." Kurt offers.

"You're gay. Sorry, but you don't count." Theo says, distracted by the sudden anger welling up inside him. "And no one did anything about it?"

"They laughed." Kurt says, looking in the distance.

"Shit, wow." The sighs, "So how'd the big bully soften up?"

"You know, that's a good question." Kurt says, shaking his finger at him.

"He did it for Quinn, to be closer to her." Rachel answers, "He kind of told me that when I broke up with him."

"You two went out?" Theo asks, "Seriously?"

"It was brief." Rachel shrugs, "Anyway, I'm going to go get Finn. Kurt, would you mind getting some coffee and something to eat for when we bring Noah back?"

"Sure, but I'm coming with you guys." Kurt says, "No way you're leaving me here while you go out on an adventure."

"I'd drag you along anyway." Theo says, "I'd so be like the third wheel and with the whole tension thing, I'd kill myself."

"Don't be so dramatic." Rachel says jokingly as she leaves to call Finn. "Wish me luck!"

As luck would have it, Finn was held up in his English class. Rachel tried to fake an excuse to the teacher but Finn was in the middle of taking a quiz so she wouldn't have that. She asked if she could be speak to him for a moment instead seeing as it was an urgent matter. The teacher agreed and Rachel pulled Finn out into the hall.

"What's up, Rach?" Finn asks with a smirk, going in for a kiss.

She places her hands on his chest, pushing him away, "Wait- listen to me." She tells him, "Someone just called Kurt telling him that Puck was at a bar and needed someone to pick him up."

"Wait, what? Why'd he call Kurt?"

"Um, I don't know. He just did. He said he was the last person to call him so that's why I guess. Anyway we need to go get him or else they'll call the police." Rachel says, thinking that Kurt would make more sense and need less explanation than Theo.

"Baby, I don't think I can get out of here in time." Finn says, scratching his forehead, "Shit." He mutters. "I knew something like this would happen."

"It's not your fault." Rachel tells him comfortingly, her hand rubbing his forearm.

"I should have been watching him." Finn says sadly, "He..-_fuck_."

"Theo and Kurt offered to help, I just thought you should know." Rachel says, "It'll be okay, we'll go get him."

"That's awesome." He smiles, relief washing over him, "Thanks, baby. You're the best." He kisses her, "Wait, we? It's not the kind of place for you to go. It's dangerous."

"It's Lima, Ohio. If anything, a pigeon will attack me." She chuckles, "Don't worry. Go back to class before Mrs. Gibbs gets a heart attack."

"Okay." He sighs, "I think he has his next class with you. Would you mind keeping an eye over him? And don't let him go back home. His mom is there and I don't her to se him like this."

"Sure." Rachel smiles sadly, before waving at him and heading back to the boys.

She texts Kurt to meet her at her car, and as she's about to text Theo, she sees him leaning against her car. She raises an eyebrow in question.

Theo makes a knocking gesture on his head, "Male intuition." He smirks, "And I have superpowers."

"Oh, right." Rachel laughs, bumping her shoulders with his, which only reached to his elbow considering her height.

They get in the car and wait for Kurt and as soon as they see his figure coming out of the school with the stolen items from the teacher's lounge, they make their way to the local bar. Theo gives Rachel direction, what with him knowing the way and going there a few times. They spend the ten-minute ride discussing Rachel's relationship with Puck last year complete with a full play-by-play commentary given by Kurt.

When they finally get there, Theo grabs Rachel by the wrist, "You're not going in there, tiny-pants."

"That's a horrible nickname, and why pray tell am I _not going in there_?" Rachel asks mockingly, tugging her wrist back.

"You look twelve, doll. You're gonna blow our cover." Theo tells her with a stern look.

"What about Kurt? He looks like- you know, Kurt." Rachel says awkwardly, gesturing to the boy in the backseat.

"I take no offense, Rachel, I'm unique after all. Thank you for recognizing my individuality." Kurt says, brushing his hair back.

"You're most welcome." Rachel chuckles already half way to the bar door.

"Wait up!" Theo yells, "Come on mister individuality."He says to Kurt.

Rachel opens the door and goes in, looking everywhere for a boy with a mohawk. She walks past the bar when a man wiping a glass with a towel approaches her, "You do have nice legs." He leers at her.

"Excuse me?" Rachel asks, wrapping her arms around herself in a subconscious reflex.

"You're Rachel right?" He chuckles, shaking his head.

"Yes." She answers, slowly realizing, "And you're Joe?"

"The one and only." He answers, "Your boy is sitting over in the booth in the corner." He says, nodding towards the opposite direction.

"T-thanks." She says politely, walking over to where she sees Puck's head leaning against the wall. She slips in next to him, placing her hands on his arm, "Noah?" She shakes his arm, "Noah, wake up." He mumbles something but she can't understand what he's saying.

"Ha, you found him!" Kurt says, "Wow, he looks terrible."

"And he stinks." Theo says, scrunching up his nose.

"Be quiet you two." Rachel tells them before turning back to Puck, "Noah, can you stand up?"

"Go away." He mumbles, shaking her hand away, and pulling his hands to his chest.

"Here, Rach, let me carry him out." The says, gently pushing her aside, "Gimme a hand, Kurt."

As Theo grabs Puck's hand, Puck shoves him away, "Don't touch me!" He says, slurring her words.

"Geez, dude, chill out." Theo says, "C'mon, let me help you."

"I said, don't touch me." Puck says menacingly.

"I sense drama in this joint. Kurt, isn't this your forte?" Theo asks, turning back to look at Kurt.

"I gossip. I don't engage in the actual event." Kurt says, "And I'm wearing Alexander Mcqueen. Puck looks murderous, I refuse to endanger my clothes." Kurt says, gesturing to Puck's face.

"Move." Rachel says, pushing past Theo and taking her seat next to Puck. She places a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Noah, it's Rachel, okay? Just me." She whispers into his ear so the other two can't hear.

"Rachel?" Puck asks sleepily, lifting his head and looking at her intensely.

"Yes, Rachel." She says, smiling at him, "I'm going to take you back to the car, all right?"

"Mhhmm." He says, falling against her, his face nuzzling her neck.

"A little help you guys?" Rachel asks the boys, sliding out of the booth while trying to make Puck stand up.

Theo and Kurt make a move to take Puck off her hands but receive a glare from Puck instead, "Rachel, he looks evil." Kurt whimpers as Puck grabs his hand and shoves it away with another "Don't touch me."

"What's wrong with him?" Theo asks, genuinely concerned.

"I don't know, but I have an idea of what may be troubling him." Rachel says, "Let's just get him to the car." She says, wrapping her hand around his wrist and bringing it over her shoulder, "Noah, come on, try to walk with me."

Theo opens the door for her as she helps Puck walk out with Kurt trailing behind them. Kurt gives Theo a knowing look to which he just shrugs off. When they make it to the car, Theo opens the backseat door, "Ride in the back with him and give me your keys, I'll drive."

"Okay." She says, leading Puck into the car seat. After she makes sure he's in, she closes the door and hands Theo the key. Rachel goes around the other side and gets in. When they are all in, Theo turns on the car and steers out of the parking lot and makes his way back to school.

Puck falls back asleep, his head falling on Rachel's lap. His faces nuzzles her stomach while one of his hands wrap around her back and the other rests on her knee.

Kurt turns to look at her, "He looks real bad, Rach. What happened to him?"

"He got drunk?" Theo offers jokingly, looking in the rear view mirror with a look of worry on his face.

"I don't know." Rachel says, just barely above a whisper, letting her hands softly graze the hair on his scalp, playing with what little strands he had while cradling his neck with the other.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed the previous chapter, they were all wonderful, and I'm forever grateful for your feedback and support. To both of my new readers, who reviewed anonymously and to Urangel, your words were far too kind, and I really appreciate what you said. I didn't get a chance to thank you so I'm doing it here. And a thanks to everyone who alerted this story and/or favorited it. There's been an overflow in my inbox this past week and it's been beyond flattering.

Apology alert! As always, for any grammatical and spelling mistakes.

Also, I just thought I'd let it be known that this wasn't how I initially intended for this chapter to play out, but I'm afraid I have no control over the situation, so I'm as surprised as you are. Well, not as you are exactly, because you're not my head so you couldn't have been surprised because you didn't know what was going on before, but you get the idea. I should really just stop talking.

That's all, I guess. Read, enjoy and review if you do. Reviews are as lovely as pie.

* * *

They arrive back at the school ten minutes later with Puck still sleeping on Rachel's lap. The drive back was quiet, everyone just lost in thought and wondering what could be wrong or what had happened to the drunken mess in the car. Puck kept mumbling incoherent words into Rachel's stomach while she kept to brushing his hair comfortingly. She enjoyed the soft sighs she heard from him when she touched a particular spot or played with his hair. His hand was still on her thigh, but seeing as that he was unconscious she didn't mind it all that much. At one point, he woke up and looked around from the corner of his eyes to find Rachel looking at him worriedly. She didn't catch him though, so he chose to relish in the moment and so he averted his gaze and made a move to snuggle up closer to her while squeezing her knee; a show of gratitude? Of affection. He didn't really want to think about it given the fact that his mind wasn't his own right now, so he just let his eyes drift back to sleep.

"Should we wake him up?" Kurt asks, taking off his seatbelt and turning around to face Rachel.

"Maybe get some caffeine in him?" Theo suggests, turning the keys and pulling them out of the ignition.

"I don't know." Rachel says quietly, "I've never had any alcohol so I have no experience on the matter."

"Why not just take him home then?" Theo asks as if the most obvious thing in the world.

"No." She says quickly, "We can't do that, no. Finn said not to. I think his mother is home and I don't think Puck would be very pleased with his mother reprimanding him nor do I want to be the cause of her distress."

"So what?" Kurt asks, "That only leaves just leaving him in the car."

Theo laughs, "I don't think Rachel's fathers would approve of her car smelling like a drunk cat."

"He doesn't smell like a drunk cat." Rachel says, sniffing his head for good measure, "H-he- well, not a cat at least." She adds defensively.

"Okay, so we take him inside, try to sober him up and hope for the best?" Kurt suggests generously.

"That's our best and only option at the moment I guess." Theo says, "But I'm worried about that attitude he's got going."

"Yeah.." Rachel says distractedly, brushing her thumb over his brow. She sees his eyes open and close quickly and she gets the hint. "You guys go ahead." She says suddenly, "I'll take care of it. I'm the only one he seems to mind at the moment."

"Okay, but we've got twenty minutes before class starts." Kurt tells her, grabbing his bag, and handing her the thermos of coffee along with a sandwich.

"I don't know, Rach." Theo says hesitantly, "You sure you can handle this?"

"He just needs to come back to his senses, there's nothing to be handled. Just go, I'll be fine." She smiles reassuringly.

"Okay, diva." Kurt says, "I'll see you at glee." He adds, getting out of the car.

"I'll meet you here at four, all right?" Theo tells her as he opens the door, "Don't be late."

"I'll try not to." Rachel says with a smile and a quick wave.

As she see the other two boys leave, she places her hands on his cheek, "Noah?"

"Hmmmm." He groans, snuggling deeper into her.

"Noah, I know you're awake." Rachel chuckles lightly.

"No, you don't." He mumbles, "I'm drunk sleeping, so let me."

"Noah, you smell like cigarettes, not alcohol." She tells him, "And you're not that drunk."

"Yes I am." Puck says, inhaling her scent, "Mmmm, you smell good."

"Noah." She says, grabbing his head and lifting it so she can look at him, "You're not drunk."

"What the fuck?" He says tiredly.

"You're not drunk." She tells him sternly.

"I'm not?" Puck asks softly.

"Nope." She says, placing a kiss on his forehead, and helping him up to a seating position, "Here, drink this." She says sweetly, handing him the thermos of coffee.

He takes it from her warily, and mumbles a "Thanks."

"Reverse psychology." She grins happily, "It works."

"What are you talking about?" He says, taking the sandwich from her hand.

"Oh, nothing." She says, smoothing down her dress.

"You're being weird." He says out loud before taking a bite of the sandwich in his hand.

"Aren't I always?" She says bitterly, "So, are you feeling better?"

"I think I threw up most of the alcohol back at the bar." Puck admits sheepishly, "I only had a few drinks anyway."

"But why did you?" She asks carefully, "I mean you were fine this morning and then all of a sudden-"

"Who told you?" Puck asks, cutting her off.

"I have no idea what-"

"Save it, you're looking at me differently and you're comparing me to this morning which only means that you know and you're checking up on me."

"Oh." She says sheepishly, "Sorry, I didn't mean to invade your privacy but I was worried."

"Was it Finn?" He asks, "I bet it was Finn. He can't keep his mouth shut."

"I'm his girlfriend." She shrugs, "I don't count." She adds with a soft smile.

"Whatever." He grumbles, looking away from her.

"We should probably get to class." Rachel says, placing a hand on his shoulder.

He turns to look at her hand for a moment, then lifts his eyes to meet hers, "_You _should probably get to class. _I'm_ not going anywhere."

"But Noah, there's no excuse to neglect your studies-"

"I'm not." He cuts her off.

"Well, at the moment, you kind of are. I mean you haven't been to any of your classes all weeks, and-"

"I can't" He whispers.

"-you've been at the bar the entire morning. I don't see why you-"

"Rachel." He says loudly, "I can't, all right? I just- fuck, I just can't." He adds, getting out of the car.

She quickly follows him out, "Noah, this is not how you should handle it." She tells him, trying to keep up with him.

"How would you know?" He scoffs, his tone clearly laced with anger.

"Noah, stop." She says, finally catching up to him. "I don't know how you must feel but at least let me help." She says as she grabs his forearm to stop him.

He turns around abruptly, staring her down, "No, you don't. None of you will ever understand. Not you, not Finn, and not even my own mother, okay? So just fucking drop it."

"You can't do this to yourself." She says quietly.

"Why the fuck not?" He laughs bitterly.

"Because, he's not worth it." She says simply, "Look, I don't presume to know anything about your situation, but I do know a little thing about rejection. It's a terrible thing, Noah. But if I've learned anything from it, it's that people are not worth it. Some are, and hopefully you'll meet them one day, but there's no reason for you to dwell on the past if this is what it does to you."

He looks at her throughout her little speech. He notices how she bows her head down and avoids his gaze but looks right through and at him at the same time. He sees the sincerity and senses the vulnerability in her eyes as well as the passionate movements in her hands; how she fidgets and clenches her fists. And at that moment, he's left speechless, he doesn't say anything, but just looks at her. He could tell she's speaking from experience, and at that moment, he didn't feel alone. His face softens and a sort of grateful looking smile starts forming on his lips. What she said didn't hit a chord, or solve all his problems, but it was nice to have someone say something different, something relevant. Someone who knows how it feels and doesn't talk bullshit to make him feel better.

A small, almost unrecognizable smile tugs at her lips, and she slips her hand down his forearm and takes his hand, "Let's get to class." She tugs his hand, and nods toward the school doors, "Come on, I won't leave you." She says as she sees his reluctance.

He smiles back and they make their way to their next class. Everyone turns to look at them as they walk down the halls hand in hand. Puck doesn't notice though, he's too busy just staring down at their intertwined hands and keeps looking back and forth between that and the side of her face.

When they enter the class, she goes to sit at the front, but he gently tugs her hand. She turns to look at him and as she sees his face, she gets the hint and walks a few rows back. She gives him a look as if to say, "Is this good enough for you?" And he nods, a soft smile gracing his lips.

He has a firm grip on her hands and she doesn't know what she should do at the moments. Should she let go or should she just let him be. Deciding on the former, she makes a move to take her hand back. But instead of being freed, the grip on her hand tightens.

"Don't." He says, his head resting on his other hand on the table, "I swear to god, I will fucking leave if you let go."

Not daring to say another word, she just nods, and lifts their hands to rest on her thigh as she bends down to pull out a couple of books from her bag. The rest of the students start filing in, Quinn and Santana amongst them, chatting away.

"Puck, you're in class?" Santana asks disbelievingly.

"I think the more troubling matter is why he's sitting next to Rupaul here." Quinn says, sitting down right in front of them.

"Don't call her that." Puck says suddenly.

"Ooooh, what do we have here?" Quinn smirks, "You and man-hands? You sure do get around_, Rach." _She says, sneering her name.

"Don't be crass, Quinn." Rachel says, completely unaffected by the insult "It just so happens that Noah's grades needed some improving and given our shared classes, I volunteered to tutor him. Principal Figgins instructed that I should sit next to him in class to improve his class ethic." She lies smoothly.

"Yeah, fucking sucks." Puck adds, inwardly smirking, and giving Rachel a wink as soon as the two Cheerios turn around.

The teacher comes in shortly after, diving right into the lesson. Rachel opens her pen with her mouth seeing as her hand is in Puck's under the table. He's looking at her appreciatively, licking his lips as she does so. And as Rachel starts writing her notes, Santana passes a note to Puck. Taking his eyes off her reluctantly, he opens the piece of paper. _Janitor's closet after class? _He stares at it for a good thirty seconds before looking back at Rachel, and down at their hands on her lap. He doesn't have a pencil on him, so he throws the paper on Rachel's notebook, "Tell her I'm busy." He whispers in her ear.

She's about to scold him as he interrupts her writing, but as she reads the paper, she's slightly taken aback. Did she give him the wrong impression? She slowly starts to panic, but before she can fully do that, she feels his breath against her ear and the words come out of his mouth. She breathes a sigh of relief as she realizes what the note is. With a smile, she jots down an excuse about needing to meet principal Figgins, and gives it back.

He reads it and nods in approval as he passes it back. He gives it back and as Santana reads it, Rachel tugs Puck's hand and when he looks at her, she makes a motion with her hands telling him to make a sad face. Getting the hint, he frowns just as Santana turns around to glare at him. Rachel rolls here eyes as she sees Santana smirk as she turns back to face the front. "Thanks." Puck whispers softly, squeezing her hand.

She lifts her head to see that he's facing the board, so with yet another smile she goes back to taking notes. He looks at her just as she turns away and his heart swells up in pride as he thinks about how he put that smile on her face. He feels his phone vibrate in his pocket. Taking it out, he sees a text from Finn. Deciding to ignore it, he pockets his phone, and turns to look at Rachel again. A wave of impossibility flashes before his eyes as reality sets in, but then, just for a second, she looks at him and gives him that smile, and he makes an effort to return it before facing the teacher, his mind lost through the ripples of anger and sadness flowing through his veins.

They wait till everyone leaves the class; Quinn giving them suspicious looks as she and Santana get up to leave. Rachel pretends to explain something to Puck while he tries to hold back a laugh. As soon as they leave, they both burst into laughter, "Thanks, Rach."

"Anytime, Noah" She says, wiping her tears away, "Did you see the look on Santana's face? I thought she was going to murder me! Come to think of it, she'll probably do that or maybe steal my clothes during gym." She says seriously, "Oh well."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Puck smirks at her, eyeing her up and down.

"Don't be like that." She says with a laugh, "Come on, let's go." She says, pulling him out of his chair.

"Yes, ma'am." He grins.

Just then, she stops, turns around, and punches his shoulder, "Don't call me that either."

"You don't like babe and ma'am makes you violent, what do you want me to do woman?" He says, rubbing his shoulder, "And geez, did you have to punch so hard?"

"Yes, I did, and quite frankly after that insensitive comment, I should have dislocated it." She says, literally dragging him out of the class. "I have gym, so this…" She lifts their hands. "Will you be okay?"

"Yes, _Rachel._" He says, a huge grin threatening to escape, "I'm a badass, stop mothering me."

"I was just-" She sighs, "You know what, I'll see you later." She says, tugging her hand back.

"Wait-" He says, not letting go, "St- Let me walk you."

"Okay, then." Rachel says, not sure of what's going on with him; why he wouldn't let go.

They arrive at the girls' locker room, "Can I have my hand back now?" She asks, smiling.

"Oh, uh, yeah-" He stutters, making no move to let go. They stand there awkwardly for a good minute before he breaks the tension, "Look, I- this, well. _Shit. _What I'm trying to say is- Fuck."

"You're trying to say-" She looks around before she mouths the word, "Wow, that's very flattering?" She says a little confused.

"No, it's not that. I'm not one of those touchy feely thing and I don't want to sound like a weirdo, but….."

"But?"

"Stay." He breathes out, "I mean, let's skip."

"Noah, I can't do that. They'll call my dads and I really don't need that sort of commotion right now. Not to mention that I'm not one to skip any classes."

"Puh-lease. You skipped for the dancing thing." He tells her.

"That was different, and I didn't skip, I was excused." She says, crossing her arms, only to notice that by doing so, Puck's hands were grazing the side of her breast. She uncrosses her arms quickly and he quickly shakes his head and tries to wrap his head around what just happened.

He takes a deep breath, "Look, I don't know how to explain it, but you kind of- you know, like- I'm fucked up and you've been fucked- shit, that's not what I meant. I mean like- you know what's going on with me because you had Shelby-" He sees her visibly wince, "Sorry. But what I'm trying to say is- just, please, stay with me."

She opens her mouth to say something, but he quickly lifts his other hand to shut her up, "That sounded totally gay." He sighs, "Whatever, I need you, so nod if you'll stay."

She takes a few seconds to study his features and take all of this in. She's never seen Puck like this and she knew that it was only temporary, that he was vulnerable. Although, she couldn't get her mind around why he wouldn't let go of her hand. It was a good thing as apposed to having him run away again. Apparently, she had said the right thing in the parking lot. Slowly, she bobs her head, and he smiles in return.

She looks at him pointedly, gesturing to his hand, "Oh sorry." He mutters, taking his hand away from her mouth, and shoving it into his pocket, "So, where too?"

"Choir room?" She suggests.

"That's all you got?" Puck asks, smirking, "Pretty predictable, Berry."

"Well, why don't _you_ contribute a location in which we can commit this heinous crime against our education, oh great one?" Rachel say mockingly, causing Puck to burst into laughter.

"Crime?" He manages to say, "Seriously, Rach, you need to calm down. It's just gym."

"Physical education is vital to a child's growing mind, Noah. It helps us achieve team work-"

"You? teamwork? Puh-lease." He scoffs, leading her down the hall.

"I'm going to ignore you, and pretend you didn't just say that. Also, not to mention that exercising release endorphins and endorphins make people happy, and we could all use that every now and then, don't you agree?" She says excitedly, with a slightly sad undertone.

"Yeah, I guess. Still doesn't mean you shouldn't chill out." He says, turning a corner.

"I am very chilled, thank you very much." Rachel says defensively, "Where are you taking me?"

"A place." He smiles.

"Oh, how very informative. You really do have a way with words, Noah." She says sarcastically.

"You know it, babe." He smirks.

"Noah-" She says warningly.

"What? It's what I do, chill out. It doesn't mean I want anything to do with you- in _that _way, I mean." He says, shrugging it off.

"I'm sorry, I know that you couldn't possibly- you know, but it's just weird." She sighs, "Finn calls me that." She offers as an explanation.

"I get it." He says grimly.

"Where are- the ballet room?" Rachel raises a brow inquisitively, "This is where you're taking me?"

"You can't say I'm not predictable." He grins.

"That's true." She says, going inside after him, her hand still in his.

She watches him as he looks around the room again, his eyes wandering and admiring the many aspects of the room. "Dance for me." He says suddenly.

"What?" She asks, taken aback.

"You know, that thing you did this morning." He says, dancing a little dance jokingly, "Remember?"

She gets back her bearings, and gives him a look, "Very funny." She says, going to sit down.

"No, seriously." He says, pulling her back, "Dance."

"Noah, I can't, I mean- I need Theo to be here for that specific dance."

"Not that, just anything." He tells her.

"I don't dance conventional ballet for fun, Noah. I just do it when I need to. I'm more of a contemporary kind of girl." She says, turning around.

"Show me, then." He says simply.

She takes a second to answer, "Okay then, but I'm going to need my hand back."

"I'll manage." Puck laughs.

He lets go of her hand and leans back against the wall as she heads over to turn on the stereo. She ignores the look he gives her and picks a song, closing her eyes as the first few notes fly out the speakers. A soft smile grazes her lips as a hauntingly melodic violin joins the piano. She rolls her neck around and lifts her hands to caress her neck and down to her waist where she flicks her wrist as she transitions into a beautiful pirouette that ends with her on the floor. Her hands hit the floor, lifting her body as she attempts a handstand, flipping back and going back to a standing position. She runs to the other side of the room, only to stop abruptly, her hands wrapping around herself as she runs back, but this time jumping in the air, and rolling over gracefully as she hits the floor. It comes to a point where Puck just sees a blur of clever tricks, more pirouettes, and a lot of teasing. There were no words to the music, but he felt she was trying to tell him something. Her body was telling a story, and the way she moved wasn't like anything he'd ever seen before. She was completely lost in herself, a form of passion he was witnessing for the first time. It was almost as if she was singing silently; her body moving in perfect rhythm with the melody, music to a deaf man's ears.

Lost in a trance as he watches her lose and let herself go, he doesn't notice her walking back towards him as she shuts off the music, "Something like that." She shrugs.

"Shit, Rach." He shakes his head, "That was- _holy fuck._" He says, his head shaking in amazement as he takes her hand and gives her a baffled smile, "You're beautiful." He says, touching her cheek.

"Noah-"

"What? Does Finn call you that too?" He asks defiantly.

"That's not fair." She tells him, looking away.

"Well, does he?" He asks again.

"He loves me." She answers simply as if it explained everything, "We should probably start heading to glee now."

"Yeah." He sighs, rolling his eyes. He laughs as he pulls her outside the door, looking down at her as they make their way to the choir room, "You know, Rach, technically, you didn't answer my question."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: **These author's note are getting on your nerves, right? I'm sorry. Any way, I'd like to thank the super duper awesome people that have reviewed each and every chapter and have managed to light up my room with the magnitude of the smiles they elicit. They are truly amazing. So thanks** Bonesluver, IssyBell91, pinkdrama, **and **Kim-Anadrade32593. **You truly are a wonderful audience.

Not to sound like a broken record player like I always do, but here's my apology for all and every grammatical and spelling mistake. I'm only human after all.

Side note: Just a minor adjustment to the setting of the story and that is that Kurt didn't transfer. He still goes to McKinley, because I love him too much not to include him in every chapter and I can't do that if he's gallivanting in the hallways of another school, now can I?

And as always, enjoy and review. You could say I'm sort of a obsessive compulsive freak, I'm not diagnosed yet but I'm sure I will in the near future. I say this because I have this thing where I want the number of reviews to coincide with the chapter number by a certain ratio so, you know, help me out ;)

And now, on with the show!

* * *

Rachel and Puck enter the choir room, not saying anything to each other since the Finn comment. They have more than a little time to spare so instead of sitting on the folding chairs, Rachel leads Puck to sit on the piano bench. They sit in silence, a comfortable kind while Rachel plays with a few keys. Puck bumps his shoulder against hers and she laughs as she leans in, "Can I ask you a personal question?"

He looks at her hesitantly, before sighing, "Fuck it. Sure, why not?"

"Okay, so, well…how should I put this? You seem like a really nice guy around certain people, sometimes, but you're kind of a jerk _most_ of the time, why is that?"

"That's your question?" He asks, raising his eyebrows disbelievingly, "I was getting ready for a question about like- the hidden darkness of my troubled past, or some shit like that?" He laughs.

"Yeah, well. That's next." She jokes, "But really though, why do you put up this act of yours? Why not just let people see you for the sweet guy you are?" He looks at her pointedly when she describes him as sweet, but she smacks his chest playfully and waits for his answer.

"I could ask you the same thing." He tells her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asks, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Look, let me show you. Ask your question again." He says, turning his whole body to face her, "Go on."

"Okay." She says, doing the same, "Why are you such a jerk when you're obviously not?"

He clears his throat and gestures to her with his free hand, "Why are _you _such a conceited uptight diva when you're obviously not."

"I'm not a conceited uptight solo diva." She huffs, pouting as she sees his eyes fixated on her.

"Exactly. _There_'s your answer." He shrugs, pointing at her, "We both have our reasons."

Another silence washes over them, neither one commenting on what Puck had just said. But just as Rachel takes a deep breath, he turns to her and gives her a smile, "My turn."

"Your turn for what?" She asks, lifting her head to look up at him.

"My personal question for you." He answers, "So, how did you deal with your mo- uh, Shelby?" He asks, quickly recovering from his stumble upon calling her, her mom, because he really didn't know where she stood on that. He was scared at the fact that she might not answer, or that she'd lash out on him for bringing it up, but he's surprised when he sees her face soften just a little.

"You know, you're the first person to ask me about her." She admits, smiling bitterly.

"That prick." He mutters, "Seriously, Rach, out of curiosity, what do you guys spend your time doing? I mean he doesn't tell you you're beautiful, he laughs at all the jokes about you, and he doesn't even think to ask you about that vital part of your life? Because shit- that's fucked up."

"Well.." She says, tilting her head to the side, that bitter smile still on her face, "We kiss-" She starts jokingly.

"Wait, you know what, I don't want to know the freaky shit that goes on between you two." He says, a scared looking expression on his face as he holds up his hands to stop her.

"Suit yourself." She shrugs, but laughing as she does so, "Noah, I really don't understand why you're being so judgmental. We do talk about other things, you know. He's not a bad guy, I just choose not to speak about that unfortunate time in my life, it's gone and I'm over it."

"That's no excuse." He says, "And you'll never be over it, trust me. I see how your face just- I don't know- dies when I mention her. You're not over it."

"Noah, come on." She sighs, "I don't want to talk about this."

"What did you do then? Seeing as you're over it, what made you all sunshine and daises."

She narrows her eyes at him, "Well, if you must know, I drank myself senseless and smoked my weight in cigarettes while dancing on the roof of my house."

"So like, no cigarettes?" He asks playfully, but as he realizes what she just said, "Holy fuck, seriously?" He adds, shock and surprise drowning his features.

"No, not seriously. Noah, don't be so gullible, of course I didn't. Although, it was partly true where the dancing part is concerned. You can even say that I joked about the drinking because I had an urge to at the time but unfortunately, as it goes; I'm confined by morals and self-preservation. So instead, I ran."

"Ran?" He asks, raising and eyebrow.

"Yes, ran. You know, to run? Put one foot in front of the other and go really fast?" She chuckles.

"I know that, smarty-pants. I just- I meant, as in like...maybe I don't understand it." He shrugs.

She gets a distant look in her eyes, and as she starts talking, he senses that she's talking more to herself than to him. "No one holds you back when you're running, Noah. No one tells you no or asks you how you're feeling or if you're okay, because you simply don't let them. It's like I'm in control. Feeling something besides wanting to break down. Just the wind in your hair and the rush in your heart. Complete freedom, you know?" She says, her voice laced with passion as she clutches at her heart while looking up at him with those wide eyes of hers.

"And when you stopped?" He asks, enthralled by her display of emotion, "What then?"

She lets go of her chest and folds the one hand over her lap, turning away from him, "Well, I broke down and cried for the next three days and threw myself into my dance classes, and eventually, I let go."

"No, you didn't. It's still there but not where you left it." He tells her after a while.

"Noah, that makes absolutely no sense." Shel scoffs.

"Yes, it does. You said you threw yourself into dance, right?" He asks. She nods and looks at him with a look that conveys a _so? _"Well, babe, have you ever seen yourself dance?"

"Well, I do practice in front of a mirror-"

"No, not that ballet shit." He says, shaking his head, "What you just showed me, Rach. You were fucking amazing. T_hat's_ where you buried everything. You probably think you got over it, but your body sure doesn't."

She opens her mouth to say something, but she really doesn't know what to say. But thankfully, depending on how you look at it, the choir room door opens and in walks Kurt and Mercedes, "Hello, Rachel." Kurt muses, walking over and leaning towards the piano as he places his hand under his chin. "Good to see you're still alive, Puck." He says, scrunching up his nose, "No shower, yet?"

"Shut it, lady pants." Puck says, rolling his eyes, before getting up and heading towards a chair, pulling Rachel along with him, causing both Mercedes and Kurt to gawk at them.

Clearing her throat, Rachel tugs her hand back, "Noah?" She says, gesturing to both Kurt and Mercedes.

"Oh, sorry." Puck says, letting go of her hand reluctantly, a feeling of dread washing over him as he does so. "Stay close." He whispers, careful not to allow anyone the chance to eavesdrop. She nods, grabbing her bag, and sitting on the chair next to Puck, "So, Kurt, how was class?"

"Spectacular, but on a more pressing matter, darling, what's this?" He asks, pointing his finger at the both of them.

"Um- what do you mean?" She asks, pretending to look for something in her bag.

"Oh dear, she's avoiding the subject. Mercedes, notice how she doesn't make eye contact?" He says, moving over to stand next to Mercedes, his arms crossed with one hand resting under his chin, "Rachel, stop making a spectacle of yourself. I'm an artist when it comes to these matters."

"Boy, you really are crazy." Mercedes says, going over to sit on one of the chairs "Rachel, Puck, before Kurt gets an aneurysm, tell us what's up with the hand holding?"

"What hand holding?" Puck asks, leaning back in his chair.

"DENIAL!" Kurt squeals, "Oh my, this is getting good. It's a collaborative effort, that means it's something good."

"Jesus, Kurt." Mercedes yells, "Sit down."

"I can't contain myself, Mercedes. I'm too excited." Kurt says, going over to sit in between Rachel and Puck.

"Shit, dude. Chill the fuck out, will you?" Puck says, shoving him away.

"Kurt, really, it's nothing. I just didn't want him running off again so I just dragged him with me everywhere, and so yeah…..I had to hold his hand."

"And plus, she's tiny, I didn't realize I was dragging her just then." Puck shrugs.

"I am not tiny!" Rachel says, kicking him in the shin.

"Seriously, you weigh like zero pounds." Pucks says, rubbing his leg, "And will you stop hitting me?"

"Not to mention you reach his elbows." Mercedes adds.

"No, I do _not_. You exaggerate." Rachel huffs, crossing her arms.

"Well, maybe not Puck, but next to Finn, you look like a twelve year old." Mercedes jokes, laughing at her reaction.

"It's not my fault that Finn exceeds the average height range of boys his age." Rachel says, not liking this topic one bit.

"Aww, sweetie, and it's not _your _fault that you don't meet the average height range of a girl your age either." Kurt says comfortingly, patting her knee while Mercedes and Puck are lost in an impressive fit of laughter.

"I'll have you know, my height is perfectly normal. Seriously, I googled it, in addition to asking both my therapist and my doctor." She says, swatting Kurt's hands away. "They assured me that- _stop laughing!"_

"Well, if you googled it then-" Puck says, gesturing to her theatrically.

"By all means she must be right." Kurt finishes off.

"I hate all of you." Rachel says, leaning back in her chair. "It's fascinating how you seem to catch the google, but not the clarification from a certified doctor." She rolls her eyes as they ignore her yet again.

As they're laughing, the rest of the glee club starts filing in. Santana, Brittany and Quinn come in first, quickly followed by Artie, Tina and Mike right after them. Santana looks at Puck and Rachel disgustedly, and whispers something in Quinn's ear causing her to give the two a very suspicious look. They sit down without saying a word. They all say their hellos' and catch up with all the little anecdotes of the day. There was five minutes before Mr. Schuster usually came in. So as the conversation coasts to a stop, Britney looks over at Rachel and asks, "Is Puck under a spell?"

"What?" Mike asks as they all turn to look at her.

"Are you like a wizard?" Britney asks Rachel, ignoring everyone else.

"That's impossible, Brit. Only boys can be wizards. Girls wizards are called witches." Mike tells her, causing both Tina and Mercedes to roll their eyes while Artie nods in agreement.

"Oh. Santana calls Rachel that all the time!" Britney says excitedly, "So it's true?"

Rachel rolls here eyes as she sees Santana smirk, turning to look at Britney, "No, sweetie, I'm not a witch. Maybe Santana is confusing me with someone else, but what makes you say that?"

"Puck won't stop staring at you." She answers, pointing at Puck.

They all turn to look to Puck, then to Rachel, then back to Puck again. Exchanging glances between each other, they decide not to say anything, shrugging it off and dismissing Britney's comment like they always do. Sam and Finn join the gang shortly after, Sam leaning in to kiss Quinn before grabbing the seat next to her. Finn makes his way towards Rachel, a look of relief on his face when he sees Puck. He grabs the chair between Puck and Rachel, "Hey babe." He smiles, giving Rachel a quick peck on the lips. Puck turns away, cringing at the way he called her _babe._ He can see why Rachel found it weird now. "Puck, where the hell were you, man? I texted you like seven times."

"Oh, sorry dude, guess my phone was off." He answers, rubbing the back of his neck as he takes in Rachel's confused face.

"Puck, man, seriously, the last time-"

"Finn, drop it. I just forgot about it, okay? Don't be such a girl." Puck says, standing up and going to sit a step above, directly behind Rachel.

Finn looked completely flustered, he didn't want Puck to push him away, and he really just wanted to help. So as to not cause any more damage, he just shuts his mouth, and turns to face the front just as Mr. Schuster came in. He feels a hand on his thigh, "Hey, you okay?" Rachel asks him.

"Yeah, I just-" He sighs, looking back at Puck before answering, "Nothing."

Before Mr. Schuster gets a chance to talk though, Rachel raises her hand, "Mr. Schuster, may I please be excused?"

"But we were just going to discuss the set list, you should be here for this." He says hesitantly.

"It'll only be a moment, it's urgent." Rachel says, looking very worried and her voice completely sincere.

Noticing the change in her demeanor, he asks, "Rachel, is everything all right?"

"Yes, I just need a minute if you don't mind, I'll be right back." She says, standing up and heading towards the door.

"Sure, go ahead." He says, with Rachel already half way out the room. "So sectionals!" He says, rubbing his hands together.

Meanwhile, outside the choir room, Rachel is pacing the hallway with her phone in her ear, "Hello? Daddy, I need your help."

Rachel and Hiram Berry had a very close relationship. They Berrys' were a very tight family of course, but she related to him more and he was the one that usually listened to all her problems and shared all her secrets with. She sensed that something was up with Puck after that comment Finn had said and ever since he let go of her hand, he had this stoic look on his face and his eyes were distant, and they just looked- cold. She knew she had to leave for ballet in a while and she couldn't just leave him like this. Both her dads were good friends with Puck's mother, that much she knew. And they probably knew what Puck was going through and she really needed their advice right now. As soon as her father picked up, she explained the situation to him and after she had finished, she asks, "Daddy, I'm afraid he'll do something bad or hurt himself. What should I do?"

"Rachel, honey, there's nothing you can do besides be there for him. It's a very sensitive situation, you just have to let him figure things out on his own."

"But that's not doing him any good!" She says, stopping her pacing to lean against the wall.

"It probably won't, but we don't know what's going through his head, darling."

"Yeah, but _I_ do. Daddy, _I've _been where he is- I was, I am- I-" She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, sliding to the floor as she tries to stop the tears threatening to form in her eyes.

"Sweetie…." Hiram sighs, waiting a minute for her to recollect herself, "Are you okay, darling?"

"Yes, daddy, I'm sorry. This isn't about me. I just- I really want to help him." She sighs, wrapping her arms around her knees.

"You want me to talk to him? I'm quite the talker, you know." Hiram offers with a laugh, "I'll drive by after school and give him a ride or something. I can even bring him to your recital this evening, how about that?" He adds more seriously.

"Do you think that'll help?" Rachel asks, "I mean, won't he think it's weird?"

"Probably, but I told him that he could come to me if he needed anything this morning and it's better than being unconscious in a bar, right?"

"Yes, daddy, it is." She laughs, wiping the tears from her eyes, "Thank you."

"That's what I'm here for, sweetie." Hiram says lovingly, "Now if you'll excuse me, oh sweet daughter of mine, there's a boy with a pencil up his nose that requires my attention. Children these days." He scoffs jokingly.

"Bye, daddy." She laughs again.

"I'll see you tonight." He says, "Good luck, Rachy." And with that, he hangs up.

She smiles as she locks her phone and places it beside her on the floor, letting her head fall and rest on her knees. Wrapping her arms tighter around her legs, she takes a few deep breaths and tries to gather her thoughts and calm down a little. Tears are still slowly streaming down her cheeks, and she really didn't want to cry, but it slowly dawned on her why she was so adamant on helping Puck with everything. Saying those words to her father really got to her; saying them out loud made them real. She was helping him because however different the circumstance, she knows how it feels to have someone that important walk away from you, and even worse when she didn't have anyone to get her through it all. She knew that Puck was different in the sense that his dad was apart of his life from the beginning. He also had people around him other than his mother to help him with dealing with everything, but being who he is, he pushed them away and none of them knew any better, so they didn't try to push back, and that's why she took it upon herself to do just that.

She hears a door open, and feels someone kneel beside her, "Rachel, are you okay?" She hears Kurt's voice ask, his hand rubbing her back comfortingly, "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

She lifts her head up and smiles, "Nothing." She says, one hand coming up to wipe her tears, "Let's just go back in." She adds, standing up and smoothing her dress down.

"Rachel…" Kurt starts.

"Really, Kurt, I was just-" She struggles to find an excuse, wrapping her arms around herself, "It's nothing."

"Those eyes of yours, Rach, they'll always give you away." Kurt says, wrapping one arm around her for a side hug, "You don't have to tell me just yet, but you will. You've given me enough gossip for one day, I'll let this slide. Don't want to have an overdose. Could you imagine a world with out Kurt? Just horrible." He says jokingly, squeezing her shoulder, "But for the mean time, you sure you're all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She laughs, "Let's just say I may have split open an old wound is all."

Kurt didn't like the way that sounded rolling off her tongue, all bitter and sad with every ounce of sincerity and truth stitched into them. He made a note of talking to her later, now was not the time or place.

They go back in, Kurt's arms still around her, and her face not hiding the fact that she may have been crying, "I'm sorry I took so long, Mr. Schue."

Taking in her appearance, he decides to spare her any lecture he was intending on giving her, "That's all right. Is everything okay?"

"Yes, thank you." She says politely, going back to sit in her spot next to Finn.

"Okay, so it's decided that Sam and Quinn get to start off with a ballad-"

"Excuse me." Rachel says, cutting him off, the crying adding a little raspy quality to her voice, "Ken and Barbie? Are you serious- no offense, but are you trying to throw this?"

"You used to be sort of unlikeable but now, I pretty much feel like punching you every time you open your mouth." Quinn says, narrowing her eyes at Rachel.

"Look who's talking, princess." Kurt mutters under his breath, affording him a glare from Sam.

Rachel rolls her eyes, and ignores whatever Mr. Schuster was saying about walking the walk or whatever. Seeing that her opinion would be otherwise invalid and slightly conceited, she nudges Finn, "Do something." She tells him.

"Look, I'm all for pumping up the team, making everyone feel special, but that's for practice. You don't take out the star quarterback before the big game."

"Yep." Rachel agrees, clearly annoyed by the mere thought that the solo was trying to be taken away from her. Meanwhile Puck is looking at her with genuine concern, _why is she doing this?_ He thinks back to their conversation earlier, this wasn't Rachel being a bitch; this was her hiding behind that façade of hers. Something was up.

"Easy to say when you're the star quarterback." Tina comments, looking at Finn.

"This isn't about me, this about the team." Finn says, rolling his eyes.

"You are such a hypocrite." Santana says, with that look of disgust painted on her face.

"Like you even know what that means!" Rachel says sharply.

"It means that your boyfriend is full of crap, hobbit." Santana sneers, leaning down to say it to her face.

Finn visibly tenses as Rachel stands up abruptly, not wanting to take anymore of Santana and her snarky attitude, "You know what, ever since the wedding, you have been up my butt, and I'm sick of it!"

"Come on, Rachel, she's not worth it." Finn says desperately. Everyone senses what's about to happen, Quinn nudging Santana in an effort to stop her.

"Santana, don't." Kurt whispers pleadingly.

"Oh, really? Cause that's not what you thought last year in that motel room." Santana says directly next to Finn's ear, before looking up at Rachel's dejected expression, "That's right, Yentl. Your sweetheart? He's been lying to you. Because he and I totally got it on last year."

"Okay! Enough Already." Mr. Schuster yells, "No more conversations about this, o-or anything. This is our plan for sectionals and that is that." He says, completely disregarding Rachel and Finn's current spectacle of a situation. "Mike, Britney, come on up, let's start choreographing."

Finn has the decency to look contrite while Kurt looks as if he wants to get up and do something. The rest of the glee kids are really just quite lost at the moment, not knowing what to say or do. Quinn buries her face in her hands, shaking her head. She wasn't Rachel's biggest fan but she knew Finn was put in a bad position and she still felt the guilty over what had happened last year and he really didn't need this right now, he had enough drama to last him a life time.

"I- um, I need to…..I-I can't- I have dance, I need, um. Excuse me." Rachel stutters, backing away from Finn, and giving Mr. Shuster an apologetic look as she leaves the room without another word. Puck sees her brace herself on the doorframe, and before he can say anything, she starts running.

"_Shit."_ He mutters, standing up quickly "Gotta piss." He says absent mindedly, picking up Rachel's bag and heading towards the doors.

Kurt stands up as soon as both of them leave, "If I may, Mr. Schuster?"

"Yes, Kurt." He says, crossing his arms.

"I think it's due time that we acknowledge the fact that Rachel needs to be vindicated. I mean, if it were anyone else, you would have reprimanded Santana for speaking so out of line-"

"Kurt, this isn't the time for-"

"Did you really have to do that?" Finn asks suddenly, his eyes fixed on the floor, "Why do you have to hurt her every chance you get? What has she ever done to you?"

"Finn, I said _enough_." Mr. Schuster warns.

"No, no, it's not _enough,_ that's the problem!" Finn exclaims, anger slowly setting in, "You guys don't see what you do to her." He says tensely, "She's not as strong as she looks." He adds, barely above a whisper.

"_Puh-lease_." Santana scoffs, "She's a raging bitch to everyone."

"She goes on the rampage if anyone besides her sings." Quinn offers.

"We all do." Kurt says with a small shrug, "It's only because she's the most talented, aside from myself, that we all condemn her for it."

"And when did man-hands appoint a lawyer?" Santana scoffs, crossing her arms tighter and narrowing her eyes at him.

"Santana, that's uncalled for." Mr. Schuster cuts in, "Come on, guys, focus!" He says as he's handing the sheet music.

"Whatever." She says, turning away from Kurt and taking the sheet music from Mr. Schuster, "I think you gave me the wrong- wait, I get a solo?"

"Yes, I thought we'd try something new." Mr. Schuster smiles happily.

"Mr. Schuster! You can't do that!" Kurt called out, "Not after-"

"Kurt, no more of this. Respect your teammates and try to be happy for them."

"I respect them with the same respect they give me, Mr. Schuster. Allow me to demonstrate how much Santana respects me." Kurt says, standing up and showing everyone the back of his sweater which revealed a rip down the middle, "So, excuse me, but on behalf of Rachel, I'm going to storm out now." He takes his bag and skims down the steps swiftly and doesn't look back as he walks out the door, making his way to Rachel's car. She needed a friend right now, and he was available and more than willing to fill that slot.

* * *

**Authore's Note #2: **LOOK! No more Finchel. Have I cleared my name, or what? Because I think I may have done it justice, I dunno. Little fun fact: This is sort of how I wish that scene played out on the actual show so it was kind of my inspiration to write a new story. Yeah, all this was centered around this starting point. This was- you can say, my spark, if you will. In addition to the whole Puck story line, I really do hope they address in the near future. Any way, I also hate how the show made Rachel the bad guy after all this. I mean, it was so out of character - out of character, you know? Like, even at her worst, Rachel wouldn't have done this. I know teenagers can be hormonal and unpredictive and all that jazz, but, I dunno, that's my opinion. Also, they should stop with Santana. Or maybe delve into her character more and explain why she's so ~horrible.

Okay, enough babble. Thanks for reading.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:** To all you wonderful, fabulous, and spectacular people that reviewed the previous chapter, you are- hands down- the best people ever. I can't get over how awesome you guys have been, like seriously, it's quite overwhelming. Words, as usual, fail to articulate how grateful I really am and I'm truly at awe at how the previous chapter was received. Thank you all so much, you are the best audience a girl could ask for. I won't ramble on about anything in this chapter because I fear I may be annoying you so I'll just not.

Anyway, apologies to all grammatical and spelling errors. They weren't intentional. I'm sort of known as a grammar nazi, but I've slowly realized that when writing stories, it's quite hard to edit yourself. Reading it over and over again just makes it look like mush so it's hard to maintain grammar queen status when that happens.

Enjoy!

* * *

Puck didn't even think twice before getting up and following Rachel out the door. He sensed there was a problem ever since she came back into the room after excusing herself all teary eyed with Kurt by her side, and her lashing out on Santana only confirmed it for him. He didn't presume to know anything about her, they weren't friends after all- not before today at least, but he felt that the conversations that transpired between them earlier today were somewhat defining to her character from a whole different perspective, so for all sakes and purposes, he knew her enough. And although what had happened between Finn and Santana came as no surprise, he really didn't expect it to be revealed to her in that way. He was pretty sure she was shocked is all, and that maybe after she had the time to process she'd realize that they weren't together at the time and maybe she'll forgive Finn and everything will be back to normal. He didn't understand why he wasn't happy that there was finally something to break the two apart, maybe it was because he cared more about the girl than himself? Or maybe not. He didn't dwell on that thought much longer. What he really wanted to know is why she was sad in the first place. Ever since he asked her about her mom, she seemed a bit closed off, still the same, but a little tenser, more quieter. He knew he shouldn't have said anything. He searches his mind, trying to remember what made her ask to leave the room, was it something that he said? Try as he might though, nothing comes up. He needs to talk to her. He's about to check the bathroom when he sees a blur of brown hair push open the doors to the school parking lot, and run out.

He catches up to her pretty fast, not that it wasn't a challenge, the girl could run, but what he didn't expect to see was her stopping. She was clutching the pole next to the doorframe with a white knuckled hand, leaning forward and trying to catch her breath. He approaches her slowly, not wanting to frighten her, "Rachel.." He places a hesitant hand on her shoulder.

She turns around quickly, making an effort to compose herself, "Noah, go back to practice." She says, running a hand through her hair.

"Rach…." He says, moving closer, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine." She says, backing away from him, "I-I-"

"It's okay to be angry, you know?" He says sincerely, "It's a lot to take in."

"No, it isn't." She laughs bitterly, "You think I didn't expect this? _This _is exactly what I've been waiting for!"

"Don't-"

"Don't what?" She laughs again, "I'm not feeling sorry for myself, Noah. I know what I am and I know what Finn is. I'm just-"

"Just what?" He asks, reaching down to intertwine his fingers with hers.

She looks down at their jointed hands and sighs, "I thought he'd prove me wrong."

"It was a long time ago, you guys weren't together." He says, trying to comfort her.

"He always chooses her over me, whether it's literal or emotional." She says sadly, "This is the second time I had to come to terms with that, Noah. He did it before, and now I have- I'll always..-" She takes a deep breath, "I don't know what I'm supposed to _feel_. I can't be mad at him, but I am. I know I have no right to, but I can't help it. I just-" She groans, dragging her free hand down her face. "He told me he didn't sleep with her to make me feel bad when I was with Jesse, did you know that? I mean, _the audacity_-" She seethes, her hands balling up into fists.

"Rach, you're shaking." He says, a look of concern on his face, "It's okay, come here." He says, wrapping both his arms around her in a tight grip, "You want to cry?" He asks into her hair.

"No, but I'm sure I will." She says against his chest, her hands squished between them.

"Do you want to punch him in the face?" Puck asks her seriously, "Because that can be arranged."

"Tempting, but unfortunately, I have a firm stance against violence." She says, sighing into his chest as she brings her arms to wrap around his waist.

He laughs at that, and starts rubbing her arms up and down, "Are you cold?"

"No, I'm just- _really _angry." She says, pulling away from him.

"So that's why you're shaking?" He asks incredulously, "Remind me never to get on your bad side, because I think that's a super power right there."

"What on earth are you saying?" She asks, wiping away at her cheeks before wrapping her arms around herself once more.

"All that pent up aggression, babe." He answers, "The shrink down at juvie mentioned something about it. But what I really think, is that you're too tiny to handle all that anger and you're to prim and proper to have a go at anyone so you know, you literally can't contain yourself so this happens." He says, motioning to her slightly shaking hands.

"That actually makes sense." She says disbelievingly, "Although, I still don't understand why you insist on calling me tiny. Half the student body is exactly my height!"

"Freshmen don't count." He says, shaking his head, "You're a junior. You're supposed to reach bookshelves by now."

"You know what, I'm not opening up this subject again. I think we've established that it's a lost cause." She says, turning around to walk to her car.

"Wait up!" He says, snagging her around the waist to bring her back to him "I can't let you leave like this."

"Look, I don't-" She sighs, deciding to forgo whatever it was she was trying to say. She was too emotionally unbalanced for this. "I have to get to the dance studio, okay? I'll let you psycho analyze my mental state later, all right?" She says, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Do one thing for me then." He says, his hand sliding down her arm to fall into hers whilst his other hand grabs _her_ other one. "Scream."

"What?" She asks, her expression completely lost.

He shrugs and gives her a wide grin, "Scream." He says again, "You're not going to cry, or yell at Finn, or make yourself feel better any time soon. You gotta let some of that anger out somehow."

"I don't think- there's people around." She says, looking towards all the students hanging around the field a few meters away but not completely disregarding his request.

"Screw 'em." He says, "It doesn't matter. Me and you, on the count of three."

"Noah, I-I-"

"Shut up and scream. THREE!" He says, letting his voice lifting from a normal cadence to a mind shattering one.

She looks at him for a second before closing her eyes, gripping his hands tighter, and looking down as she too let's her lungs join in the fun. Not many people are around them, but the ones by the field do lift their hands to glance at them, and since they were concealed by the row of cars, no one seemed to care and just went back to their business. They screamed for a good five minutes before stopping and succumbing to a fit of laughter.

"That was…..-" Rachel breathes out, still coming down from her high.

"Awesome." Puck offers, a full on smile on his face.

"I was going to say something along the lines of freeing but that works just as well." She says, taking her hand back and running it through her hair, "Thanks, Noah." She adds softly.

"For what?" He asks, picking her bag up from the floor, and handing it to her.

"This. Running after me. Trying to- no just, you know, making me feel better." She says, tucking a strand of her behind her ear as she takes the bag from his hand. "Nobody usually does that, I mean, I thought I'd have to go apologize to Mr. Schue and in turn, he'd probably make me apologize to Santana-"

"The fuck? You don't have to apologize to anyone. Santana was the one out of line, why would you think that?" He asks, a slight anger in his tone at the mere thought that she was the one in the wrong.

"Because it's what usually happens." She shrugs, "Any way, I should probably go. Theo's probably having a fit right now." She adds, attempting a smile for him.

"Sure, okay, I guess I'll see you on Monday." He says, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I guess so. See you Noah." She says, walking to her car, and as she opens the door to get in, he calls her once more, "Rachel?"

"Yeah?" She answers from the car seat, turning around to give him her full attention as her legs dangle on the side.

"Well, um- I-I-" He stutters before taking a deep breath, "Would you- I mean, do you mind…_shit._ Never mind." He says, shaking his head.

She tries to keep the smile from slicing her face in half as she sees him struggle over his words. She, of course, knew what he was trying to say, but it was all too fun watching him squirm, because who thought Noah Puckerman was capable of such a display. Deciding to take pity on him, she asks, "Noah, would you like to come to my recital tonight?"

He looks up at her just then, a sheepish grin on his face before quickly composing himself and saying, "Sure, whatever, I mean- if you want, I guess."

"Yes, Noah. I want you there." She smiles, "So I guess I'll see you tonight?"

"Yeah, Berry, don't get too excited. I know I'm a stud and all, but-"

She closes her car and rolls open the window and cuts him off mid sentence, "I'll try to practice some self restraint, Noah. Don't worry." She winks, before backing up the car, and throwing him a wave and another. "Bye."

Now it's either due to the fact that he's simultaneously emotionally constipated and drained and therefore has no control over his facial expressions or Rachel truly did make that smile on his face not want to go away. He never got to see that side of her, the playful side if it were. He doesn't know whether it's because of what she had just went through or if that's what's under that public and annoying façade of hers, but he liked it. Standing there by the parking lot with that stupid grin on his face, he doesn't notice Kurt standing a few feet away, arms crossed and a smirk all over his face, "Not that this isn't the most adorable thing ever, but you know that that's not an option, right?"

"What the hell in the fuck are you saying?" Puck asks, quickly readjusting his face to give Kurt a Puckerman scowl of steel.

"She doesn't need this at the very moment. You, Finn, and drama central. I'll have you know that it's killing me preventing any potential gossip, but she really does not need you playing with her heart right now." Kurt says sincerely.

"There's nothing going on, I was just- whatever, someone needed to go after her after Satan went all bitch on her." He offers, making his way back into the school.

"While that is true and all, seeing as that I was coming out to check on her myself after I gave Mr. Schue a piece of my mind, I still think you should be careful around her." He says, stopping him in his tracks.

"Hummel, move." He says menacingly. "I haven't done anything to her! _Geez."_

"Apparently, you don't know me that well, do you?" He asks, raising an eyebrow. "I heard you guys." He says bluntly.

"What?" He asks, taken aback.

"Now, I wouldn't call it eavesdropping, but more of, a respect for your privacy, because imagine if I had interrupted your heart to heart, it would have been tragic. But then Mercedes came and blew my cover-"

Kurt stops talking as he feels Puck's fists around his collar as Puck slams his body against the nearest car, "What did you hear?"

"Calm down." Kurt chokes, "Not much- ahh- I can't breathe." He adds, his voice barely audible.

Puck gets a hold of himself and mutters a weak, "Sorry." As he backs away, "That's just my reflex for people with stalker tendencies. Fuckin' freak."

"Hey! I didn't mean to, I just happened to be there, what was I supposed to do? _Leave_? I'm afraid I'm not capable of such an act; I'm prone to gossip. It's a disease." He says, his hands massaging his neck.

"Whatever, what did you hear exactly?" He says, kicking him in the shin.

"OW! Dear sweet prada, stop that! I've had enough abuse from your faithful team mates for one day, thank you very much." Kurt groans, rubbing his leg.

"Answer the question." He says, crossing his arms.

"Just the part about her dancing and- _don't hit me!_" He says, lifting his hands in front of his face in defense.

"If you ever repeat this to anyone, I'll-"

"Throw me in a dumpster after tearing me limb from limb and bathing me in my own blood, got it." He says, giving him a thumbs up.

"That's harsh, but yeah, you get the picture." He says, walking away from him.

"But remember what I said!" He yells after him. "Stay away from her."

"The hell?" Puck asks, turning around slowly, "You think you can tell me what to do?" He laughs, thinking that Kurt might have inhaled to much hairspray or some shit.

"No, but I've been practicing my intimidating in front of the mirror and I believe I shall master it by tomorrow, so watch out." He says, narrowing his eyes, "But seriously though, she doesn't need this right now."

This is why he hates everyone. They think that he's nothing but a piece of scum, granted he gave them the material to think such a thing, but it doesn't mean he likes it. He's a good guy and aside from wanting Rachel in _that _way, he genuinely liked her as a friend and he would never do anything to kill that newly found friendship. He just realized that she could be a valuable person to him, and he most certainly is not going to mess it up. Being friends is a good thing. It was a good start, right? He didn't want to mess up his friendship with Finn either, so that's the healthiest option at the moment. Not to say that he was going to _pursue_ her or anything, he just wanted to be around her, and he wasn't known to be around girls unless it was for, you know, _pursuing. _This was a chance for him to prove to everyone and to Rachel that he was more than what he showed the world, but apart of him knew that Rachel didn't need any proof. She saw through him, and he was proud to say that he kind of understood her a little bit better than anyone else. So screw Kurt, he doesn't know him- or her for that matter.

"I think I know what she needs more than you, but thanks for looking out for her, it's about time someone did." Puck says, walking backwards toward the school doors and giving Kurt a two-finger salute. "See ya."

Puck can't help the smug smirk that spreads across his features as he turns back around, but not before seeing Kurt stand there, speechless and his jaw about to hit the floor. How about that for a shocker? The one and only resident badass was looking out for the resident diva and self-confessed loud mouth. _Suck on that_.

He makes his way back into the choir room, smug look pocketed and replaced with a murderous glare directed to Santana. He all but stomps his way to where she's sitting and grabs her forearm and proceeds to drag her out of the choir room. Luckily, Mr. Schuster was too busy to notice him, and the glee kids were to stunned by the action to say anything. "Let go, Puckerman." She spits out in a tone that suggested mild boredom and submission.

He doesn't answer her but waits till they're in the hall and shoves her as hard as was acceptable coming from a guy to a girl. Santana doesn't look at all threatened and just crosses her arms and stares back at him defiantly. "Yes?"

"What the fuck did you do that for?" Puck seethes, his knuckles balled up into fists against his side.

"She deserved it." She shrugs, "She's walking around with that holier than thou attitude and I'm miss perfect then she's hooking up with you-"

"WHAT?"

"You heard me! You think I'm stupid? Can't you see yourself? You're protecting her, and why else would you unless she was giving you a little something something."

"Seriously, that's why you did it? You're jealous?" He asks, raising his eyebrows.

"As if." She scoffs, "I was just bored."

"San." He sighs, "Look, I know you're not that big of a bitch. I _know." _He says, his voice softening and his hands reaching up to rest on her shoulders, "Tell me why."

"I. Was, Bored. Does everything need a reason? Geez, I always bully Berry, it's nothing new. This however," She says, motioning to Puck, "Totally weird."

"Come on, San." He says, looking right into her eyes.

She looks around the hallway before taking a deep breath, "Fine."

"Fine, what?"

"FuckinFinn." She mumbles, looking everywhere but at him.

"What?" He asks, taking a step toward her.

"Finn." She says when he comes up to her face.

"You like him?" He asks, confusion furrowing his brows.

"Well, not really." She says, shrugging his hands off her, "He's just an ass."

"What did he do?" He asks, anger lacing every word.

"I dunno." She says, walking away from the wall, "He just- ugh, I may have propositioned him and he may have turned me down, okay?" She says finally, her hands thrown up in the air.

"So? You knew he had a girlfriend, that he had Rachel. Why would you get offended or whatever?" He says, not quite understanding why she was so upset.

"Because he's done it before and he had no problem. Last year, before we had sex, and before he broke up with Rachel, I asked him out and he said yes."

"That douche." He mutters, "But why were you going after Rachel if it's Finn you're mad at?"

"Because she was there." She shrugs, rolling her eyes as she does so.

"Santana.."

"Fine." She sighs again, "Because it would hurt him more. Knowing that he was the cause of everything I was doing and saying to and about her, and he couldn't stop me because if he did, I would rat him out."

"You are the devil." He says, backing away from her, completely shocked and trying to process this new bit of information.

"Shut up, it's not like she cares or anything." She says, crossing her arms, "She always takes it like a pro. She's used to it by now."

"That doesn't give you the right to keep bringing her down." He says softly. "Shit, San. This is messed up. She may put up a strong front, but she-"

"Why are you doing this?" She asks suddenly, cutting him off with no hesitation.

"Doing what?"

"This." She says, motioning to him again, "Defending her and whatever. It's not like you were any nicer to her. And here you are talking about "Rachel Berry" of all people like you actually give a shit or know anything about her."

"I know enough." He says firmly. "Look, just back off, okay?"

"Tell me what she's got on you first, then I'll back off." She says, not in the least bit intimidated.

"She's not that kind of person, and you know it. She's just- She's a good person." He tells her.

She tones it down a bit and her face softens into a very un-Santana like expression, slightly unsure and somewhat hesitant, "Does this have to do with, you know- your dad?"

"San, don't." He threatens softly.

"Hey, I was just wondering." She says defensively, lifting her hands up in surrender, "I mean it's today, isn't it?"

He sighs, deciding that she'll probably deduce everything with that diabolic mind of hers anyway, "She understands." He tells her, and it was enough to gauge a reaction from her that was sympathetic in the only way Santana knew how.

"Oh." She says, nodding her head in understanding, "The Shelby thing?"

He nods, shoving his hands in his pocket as he tries to keep himself composed.

"I'll back off, and hell, I'll even apologize." She says, giving him a soft smile.

"You? Apologize?" he laughs, "Yeah, right. The one time you had to say sorry to me was when you locked Dani in the bathroom for whatever fucked up reason, and I'm sure Rachel wouldn't be equipped for a blowjob."

"She's equipped for other things." She smirks, licking her lips and giving him a wink, "She's got those killer legs and-"

"Don't even joke about that shit." Puck says quickly, his eyes widening before taking a big gulp as he digs his fists further into his pocket.

Santana's head falls back as she laughs at his reaction, "Berry couldn't handle me anyway." She laughs again, leaving him to walk back into the choir room, but not before readjusting her face for the Santana scowl. They all seemed to have that in common; the masks they put on for show.

Just before he adjusts his pants to follow Santana in, his phone rings and he recognizes Theo's number, "Hello?"

"What the hell did you do to her?"

"Rachel? _Fuck. _Did she bail?" He asks, silently reprimanding himself for leaving her like that.

"No, no, she's here. That girl can dance through a storm which I've actually seen by the way." Theo answers thoughtfully.

"Then what the fuck?" Puck all but yells into the phone.

"No, no, no, no. The question is, what the _fuck_ did _you _do?" Theo rephrases for him.

"Jesus fucking Christ, man." He sighs.

"Aside from the fact that I should thank you because if it's possible, her dancing just got ten times better, but what in the fuck did you do to her? She won't talk. Like, legit no words. And I'm not one to indulge in profanity, which only provides a wonderful insight into the severity of the situation. So, I repeat, what the fuck did you do?" He tells him, breathing heavily by the end of his mini speech.

"I didn't do shit, okay? It was her _dimwit_ boyfriend. The jackass cheated on her a while back or something like that."

"Oh." Theo says softly, "Oh." He adds, a little higher. "The nerve. And he had the audacity to go all caveman on me this morning. I trust that you'll take care of his face? Or should I come down after my dancing debut?"

"Keep your ballet shit on, dancy mcdoodles, I'll take care of it." Puck laughs as he imagines Theo going all ballet kung fu on Finn.

"Whatever, I'm going to punch the idiot when I see him anyway." Theo says, his voice being drowned by the music coming from his side, "Anyway, I guess that explains everything. Later."

"Sure." Puck says before hanging up and deciding to just skip the rest of glee altogether since there was hardly anything left anyway. He walks put of the school and just as he's about to hit the sidewalk to make his way home, he sees the unmistakable messy haired Berry daddy entering the parking lot in his navy car, stopping right next to Puck, "Hey, Mr. Beryy. Rachel already left."

"Oh, well, that's unfortunate." He says, feigning disappointment, "I guess I came here for nothing." He shrugs, "Wait- does that mean you have no ride back home?"

"I thought I would just walk." He smiles, "Smell the fresh air."

"Nonsense, get in." Hiram say, waving his words away like they were flies before leaning across the seat to open the door, "Come on, boy."

"Really, Mr. Berry, it's not necc-"

"I said nonsense. Now, I'm pretty sure I'm not a pedophile or a certified serial killer so this is perfectly safe." He says jokingly.

"O-okay, I guess." He laughs, climbing into the car.

"So, how do you feel about milkshakes?" He asks, making a u-turn and exiting the school.

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**Author's Note: **So, what do we think? Does Berry daddy sound as creepy as I think he does or is that just me? Blah, whatever. Review, lads!


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: **Can I just say, I love all you guys. From the story alerts to the favorited to all those beautiful reviews, you are as awesome as those last two episodes of glee. If it's possible, I think Rachel just got even more adorable. Not to mention, ON SCREEN PUCKELBERRY. I'm sorry, I'll try to contain myself.

Any who, this chapter is all about emotional growth, and I'm not a licensed shrink or anything so I'm sorry if some things don't seem accurate, but what I write is based on personal experience so I think that counts for something. And as always, I'm sorry for any grammatical and spelling errors.

And just to clarify, the M rating is just a precaution. As I may or may have not said before, I write this as I go along, so I don't know if I'll be writing anything M worthy. So yeah, sorry if this upsets anyone.

Read and review, but most of all, enjoy!

* * *

The trees pass by in a blur as Puck keeps his head against the window, alternating between looking at Hiram's face and the speedometer. Apparently, the Berry daddy likes to drive fast, and not just your average ten miles over the speed limit, but like stuck to your seat and clinging on for dear life kind of fast. Hiram catches Puck's eye and lets out a low chuckle, "I like going fast." He shrugs, "It's kind of my guilty pleasure."

"I thought you Berrys' were all about safety and the environment and all that shi- stuff." He says, slowly relaxing back into his chair.

"That's just for public appearance." He jokes, "No, not really, but every once in a while I like to let to let loose. Don't tell Rachel about this though, she'd kill me. Not literally, but my girl can talk a man to his grave if you know what I mean." He laughs.

"Yeah, don't I know it?" He adds with a roll of his eyes, "I don't think she'll believe me anyway." He says, his eyes darting to the road as Hiram swerves past an intersection.

"I apologize, that was dangerous." Hiram offers as he enters the parking lot to their local diner. "I must control myself. Anyway, son, why did Rachel leave early? Did glee run short, or perhaps there was a dance related issue with Theo?"

"Well, it's kind of complicated." Puck says awkwardly as he exits the car and follows Hiram into the Diner.

"Is she all right?" Hiram asks, stopping Puck in his track with a hand on his shoulder.

"Well, yeah, it's just- um, I don't know if it's my place to say." Puck sighs as they head towards the bar counter.

"Good god boy, it's all right, I'm her father." He encourages him as he shakes his head.

"She sort of got some- not very good- news today." He begins, but pauses, scratching the back of his neck as he looks for a way to tell him how his douche of a best friend and his sort of- girl that he sleeps with occasionally just sort of messed her up. He settles for, "He cheated on her."

"Oh dear." Hiram whispers, looking down, "My poor baby, where is she now?"

"She's at the dance studio. I went after her after she ran away-"

"Ran away?" Hiram says, his eyes widening, "Oh my god." He whispers.

"Yeah, I don't know, but before Santana blurted it out, Rachel went outside for something and when she came back, it looked like she was crying and then she found out about Finn and it was like she couldn't speak or something, and she like- backed away from everyone and ran out of the room." He rambles in an effort to water down the look of worry on Hiram's face.

Hiram takes a deep breath and lets out a long sigh, "Oh, Rachel." He mutters, reaching his hand to run it through his hair.

"I went after her. I mean, she's all right." Puck offers, hoping to relieve some of the tension. "And I called Theo after she left the school, she's good."

"For now." He mumbles, but Puck doesn't miss it, "She's better than good, I'm sure." He smiles tightly, "Anyway, m'boy, how's everything with you?"

"Uh-fine, I guess." He says as he looks through the menu.

"I just had a cup of tea with your mother this afternoon, she seems well." He smiles as the waitress offers him a cup of coffee. "Two of your finest milkshakes please, Becks!" He smiles at the familiar girl's face.

"Sure thing, Doc." The waitress jokes as she goes to place his order but not before Hiram tips his head and gives her an enthusiastic, "Thank you!"

"So, where was I? Yes, your mother!" Hiram smiles again, "She told me things have been a little rough lately."

"Oh- um, yeah, well-"

"Look, I'm not here as Rachel's dad or some middle aged freak as the youth would probably refer to me, but-" He sighs, "I'm making this awkward again, aren't I?"

"Sort of." Puck chuckles lightly.

"You know, they say that the only way to get rid of awkwardness is by stating it. Well, here I am, stating the obvious awkwardness and now we can move on., right?" He laughs.

"I don't think it works that way." Puck chuckles.

"Sure it does, I'm a licensed physician, I know these things." He says, waving his hand in front of him, "How about just being blunt? Does that work?"

"I don't know." He drawls out.

The waitress arrives with two milkshakes in his hand and both of the boys thank her before she walks away. Puck takes a few sips before Hiram starts talking again, "I knew him, you know?"

He looks up from his drink and stares up at him, "My dad?"

He nods, "Back in high school. He used to be the guy that befriended everyone yet belonged to none of the- what do you call them? Cliques." Puck looks at him, drink forgotten as he silently urges him to continue.

"We weren't friends, but I knew him well enough. He had a lot of potential, great musician, and the teachers loved him. He was what you call the perfect guy."

"I find that hard to believe." He scoffs.

"Don't be so quick to judge. I'm not your father's biggest fan, but he has a story." He tells him before continuing, "Soon after graduating, he wanted to travel to London to pursue his music career, but his mother, your g_randmother_ got sick, and so he held back his plans and stayed with her. By the time she fell into remission, which took about four years, he was halfway through completing his bachelors' degree over at OSU." Hiram says, twirling his straw around the cup. "But after he finished, he found out that his girlfriend was pregnant. That's you."

Suddenly Puck feels like he wants to throw up again. He doesn't know what he's supposed to feel right now but he knows some emotional mumbo jumbo is going on inside of him, and he doesn't like it.

"Don't get me wrong, he was ecstatic." He reassures Puck as he sees his face contort into an unknown emotion, "I was studying at Stanford at the time, I graduated a couple years earlier than your old man, and I came back home for my residency. It was about the time we discovered Shelby, not that that comes as any surprise seeing as you and Rachel- anyway, as the years went by, he became more and more depressed."

Puck scoffs, and crosses his arms as he turns away from Hiram.

"You were what kept him grounded." Hiram says softly.

"What do you mean?' Puck says, tilting his head just a little to look back at him.

"You were the only person to get him to smile. He was always more himself than what life had made him when he was with you." He tells him with a smile on his lips.

"It doesn't make sense though. Why was he depressed or whatever?" Puck shrugs, feigning indifference, as he'd like to call it.

"Well, a lot of things. For one, his mother died shortly after your sixth birthday. He went into debt. He started drinking. The list goes on…." He says sadly, "Your mother's dad hated him, did you know that?" When Puck shakes his head, Hiram continues, "Despised him is more like it. He made his life a living hell. And he fought, but over time, he lost his way. He forgot who he is. Not to mention, he was clinically depressed. I'll spare you the details, but it got real bad."

"So what are you saying exactly?" Puck asks, confused.

"He wasn't your dad anymore." He answers cautiously, "Everybody saw him changing, Noah. Even his face lost all recognition. It was all pale and lifeless."

"So he left?" Puck asks slowly.

"Yes." He answers truthfully.

"It still makes him an ass." Puck says, his brows furrowed with a mixture of anger and confusion.

"But be that as it may, maybe it was the best thing he did for you. Granted it was a horrible thing that he did, but considering the alternative, maybe not so much." Hiram says carefully, his eyes fixed on the shaken boy in front of him.

"Leaving a pregnant woman to raise her children alone? With all due respect Mr. Berry, that shit is messed up." Puck scoffs yet again, his arms crossing tighter against his chest.

"But you're stronger because of it." Hiram urges passionately, his voice every bit sincere. "Your mother is a rock, Noah. I knew her back in the day and she's never been stronger than she is after what Eli did. I know how this may sound and I'm not saying it was the right choice to leave you guys, but honestly, you're better off. He was a good guy, Noah, he _was._ But he turned into a disease, he was crushing everyone in his path and trust me, you wouldn't want a father like that, I would know." He says, and Puck just looks at him with a blank expression, not knowing what to say or feel.

"What I'm trying to say, Noah, is that however cliché it may sound, try to look at the bright side. He didn't hate you; he hated himself. And maybe, just maybe he didn't leave you, but left _for you."_ Hiram finishes, placing a hand on Puck's shoulder.

Puck doesn't answer or react in any way, and instead tries to process all this new information. It all felt a bit surreal to him. If there ever was anything he was absolutely sure of, it was that his father was a mother fucking jackass son of a bitch and a coward. And here he was, being told the complete opposite. Because god knows that he's felt like what Hiram was telling him his father was going through, and at one point, running away to spare his mother all his delinquency was very highly considered. He's more than a little shaken and he's unable to move an inch or speak a single world. He thinks that- if he were to dive into the dramatic- this is how it feels to be paralyzed.

"That man that left wasn't your father, it was a shadow of what had been, because as far as I know, your old man disappeared long before that." He squeezes his shoulder before digging into his pocket and pulling out a twenty and waving it at the waitress, "Becks, I'm ready to pay my due." He smiles as the girl approaches him.

"Sure thing, Mr. Berry." She smiles as she takes the twenty, "Tell Rachel I said hi." She says as Hiram gets up and pulls Puck along with him.

"Will do." He says politely, "Thanks again."

"Anytime." She chuckles as she starts wiping the counter.

"Where are we going?" Puck asks as soon as Hiram all but drags him out of his stupor to exit the diner.

"_I'm_ going to head back to the hospital." He says, pushing his car keys into Puck's hands, "It's not to far from here." He points to the building a few blocks away. "I'll walk, god knows I need the exercise." He adds, rubbing his stomach.

"And what should I do with this?" Puck asks, confusion etched across his features as he stares at the keys.

"Noah, my boy, you look like you need a breather and maybe some time to think or ponder or reflect about everything that I've just said. Judging by your face, it's a lot to take in, so take my car. It's fast. There's a beautiful clearing up the road if you want some peace and quiet and I have a wide selection of music if you want speed and noise. Just- trust me. Go." He says, grabbing his brief case from the backseat.

He looks down at the keys in his hand and back up seeing Hiram's retreating figure. A smile almost unrecognizable but knowingly reserved for one person tugs at the corner of his lips and he lifts his head to call out, "Hey, Mr. Berry!"

"Yes?" Hiram yells back.

"Rachel?" He asks, raising an eyebrow, smile still in place.

He chuckles from a distance as he turns around to face him, walking backwards, "Who else?" He shrugs his shoulders and turns back to face the other side, lifting a hand to wave at him, "Good bye, Noah."

A feeling wells up in the pit of his stomach and he thinks that maybe he feels nauseous again and that maybe he should empty his stomach in a trash can and not on Mr. Berry's leather interior, but before that thought can even fully process, his heart skips about three beats and jump starts again almost as if he's been running a marathon. It's not a bad feeling- though slightly uncomfortable, but he's not familiar with it, so he doesn't know what to make of it. As he enters the car, he puts two and two together and figures out why Rachel must have been crying. Although the details aren't really clear, he knew it's not as bad as he thought it was seeing as that she was talking with her dad about _him_. Maybe, it might have hit a chord or something. He'll ask her about it later, because you bet your ass he plans on talking to her. If anything, he really just wants to hug her, because for the first time in god knows how long, he doesn't feel as angry as he was all those years. He's starting to understand; he's getting a different perspective. It may take a little time to get through this, but knowing- although he would never admit this to anyone, not even himself- but knowing that he wasn't the cause, that at one time, his father loved him was good enough for a step towards progress.

He follows Hiram's directions to the clearing, but opting for a more loud thought clearing process, he turns up the radio and floors it past the meadow. He allows himself to smile as an overwhelming surge of adrenaline courses through his body. He lets out a laugh as he hears the engine roaring and whizzes past everything and everyone on the deserted street. He recalls what Rachel had said about running and how it was like complete and utter freedom and for that moment, he doesn't doubt it, because this qualifies as running too, right? Only it's a car that's doing the running. He figures it's the same logic and he wonders if it's possible that she could be more amazing at this point.

He slows down as rational thinking and self-preservation interrupt his thought process, and he finds it weird that it sort of sounds like Rachel, but he figures it's appropriate. And plus, he doesn't want to die.

But on the other side of the spectrum lies the newly found information concerning his dad. His thoughts are all over the place and he doesn't know how or what he feels about them or if it changes anything. He's pretty sure it changes something but what, he doesn't know. He figures that he still has every right to hate him, but that doesn't necessarily mean he doesn't understand his decision to leave. He comes to terms with the fact that his father needed an escape, but at the same time, he wonders what would have happened hadn't he taken that route. Would he have been there for him as a normal father should be, or would he have hated him still? Mr. Berry had said that he's not the kind of father that someone would want around, so what if his dad knew that back then? He didn't leave them right after all his problems started. He stayed for a while, which got him wondering if his dad actually did try to work thing out. Did he realize that he was far to broken and beaten up about life to ever get back up again? Puck tried to reason with himself; he tried to justify his father's actions. So maybe Mr. Berry was right. He left for them. Moreover, maybe he loved them too much to put them through what he hated most in the world; himself.

Puck laughs as that final thought passes through his mind; it was getting too touchy feely for him and even if he's by himself it's still weird. He doesn't dwell on that thought much longer though, because he thinks it's bullshit. But although he's still not sure where he stands when it comes to this particular situation, he's happy to finally have pieces of a puzzle to put together, and a mind clear of hate- for the however short a time.

Deciding that he's had more than enough time to reflect on the events of the past hour and that it's time to reacquaint himself with reality and a particular awesome yet tiny human being, he makes his way to the Lima dance studio with a look of content brightening his features. He hadn't realized how time just seemed to have flown away from him seeing as that Rachel's dance thing is scheduled to start in about five minutes. He distinctly remembers that he had about two hours before he had to head on over there. He blames it on his gross feelings and manages to beat traffic and get there just in time.

It takes a while for him to find a parking space, he gets frustrated as he glances at the time and sees that it has already started. A string of profanities permeates that car as he starts getting even angrier, but he thinks he spots a free space a few feet away, and he wastes no time and all but rams into the car next to him as he turns in and stops the car, screaming in victory, "HA! IN YOUR FACE, BITCH"

He runs into the studio and follows the signs to the mock theatre the recital was being held in. He stands at the back of the auditorium or whatever, and scans the audience for a familiar face, but he's interrupted when he sees a girl floating across the stage. He recognizes her almost instantly, even though her face is covered in make up, and she's too far away to be sure. But he'd know those legs anywhere. He wonders if Rachel would be offended if she heard him. Whatever, he thinks; she's got hot legs. It's not his fault that they're her most identifiable feature.

He watches as her body gracefully follows what he assumes is the choreography, because from where he is standing, it looks as if her movements are coming out of her naturally. He stares at her in amazement, because the fact that she can do that in a dance that's all about technicality is astonishing to say the least. Theo prances on the stage just as Rachel finishes her solo, and he can't help but stifle a laugh as he sees what he's wearing. The laugh quickly dies as he watches how his hand touches- or hover on her body. They're dancing almost as if they're one person at this point. Where she lifts her hands, he follows, but never touches. It's like they're mirroring each other. He sees his hand go around her waist as he lifts her up and twirls around. Theo puts her down and bows as she pirouettes away from him. She starts doing that standing on your toes thing and again, he stares in amazement but winces as he does so. It looks painful as shit.

Not being able to help himself, he starts imagining his hands on her instead of Theo's. He tried to help himself, really, he did, but he just gave up eventually and just went with it. Whatever, she's Jewish, he's allowed. He wonders if her skin is as soft in real life as it is in his head, or if her lips are as delicious as they look, and how his hands would feel slipping under that tutu of hers. Wait- she wasn't wearing a bra. He's pretty sure he didn't conjure this up from his current fantasy because judging from how she's arching her back right now, she definitely wasn't. He stops before he makes a spectacle of himself, because he's pretty sure that having a hard-on in a room full of the Lima community was _not_ a good idea.

He hears someone call his name, and he looks down to check if his pants haven't pitched a tent. Breathing a sigh of relief, he sees Kurt motioning for him to sit down. He groans, not wanting to deal with crazy right now, but he's pretty tired from standing, so he gives in and goes to sit down.

"_Puck!" _Kurt hisses, "You're here!"

"Apparently." Puck shoves past him. They don't say anything else for a while, just watch the show.

"He's beautiful, right?" Kurt whispers, grabbing the corner of Puck's jersey and pointing at Theo.

"Yes, _she_ is." Puck breathes out, completely lost in his own world.

Kurt gets a gleam in his eye and slowly turns his head to look at Puck's awe-struck face, and he can't help but smirk. He knew that befriending Rachel was a good idea and he was all for protecting her heart but he's starting to think that Puck would make a perfect and more than qualified- not to mention handsome, knight to do just that. He decides that he'll work with this later; he has a show to watch right now.

"That girl was made for heartbreak." Kurt sighs, his hands resting on his chest dramatically.

As soon as the recital comes to an end, and all the dancers take their bows as the curtain falls, Puck jumps out of his seat and makes his way towards where he saw Rachel's car outside. He runs into Mr. Berry in the lobby and he stops to give him the keys, "Thanks." He breathes out, before running out the doors.

He recalls glimpsing a backstage door and he gets an idea. He's not too thrilled on the prospect of having to wait until she gets out of her costume and greet her dads and has her girl-talk with Kurt, so he thinks picking a lock is going to save him a lot of anxiety and it'll benefit his future in the sense that he won't die from anticipation that way. So it's a win-win for him. Unfortunately, he finds a padlock on the door and settles for kicking it several times before walking back to her car.

It must have taken a while for her to finish her business, because the Rachel he's seeing right now is dream Rachel and he's pretty sure she doesn't go out wearing naked in public, which probably means he's asleep. Again, he really can't help it if his subconscious does this; he likes her as a friend in reality- or so he says.

He hears a voice knocking at his dream bubble, and he's slowly pulled away from the girl in his dreams by her real person, shaking his shoulder and calling out his name. He mumbles a few incoherent words, still trying to cling back to the lovely dream he was having.

"Noah, wake up." She says a little more loudly.

"You're so soft." He drawls put sleepily. "And pretty. So pretty." He grumbles.

She doesn't know whether to smile at how adorable he looks or if she should leave him alone, because he was obviously either drunk or having one of_ those_ dreams. But then, just before she was about to call Theo or her dads for help, she hears him say the most unusual while catching her completely off guard as a slow and breathy _Rachel _escapes from his lips.

She immediately stops what she's doing and snaps her hand back to her chest, "What?" She asks, knowing well that it was more of a question for herself than for the currently unconscious Noah Puckerman lying before her.

Back in dreamland, Puck senses the lost of contact and as hard as he was trying not to wake up, it's not working, because apparently, real Rachel is persistent and cares about his well-being and won't let him sleep on the street. He slowly opens his eyes, lifting his hands to rub the sleep from his eyes, and sure enough, there was Rachel sitting there looking as if someone hit her on the head with a duck.

He smiles brightly. "Hey." He says groggily, clearing his throat as he sits up to look at her. "What's wrong?" He adds after she doesn't reply.

"Oh, nothing." She says quickly, coming out of her stupor, as she smoothes down her skirt and makes a move to stand up, "Why are you sleeping on the floor?"

"You wouldn't come out, I got tired of waiting." He shrugs, standing up.

"Why were you waiting?" She asks, wrapping her arms around herself as a wind seeps through.

"I know what you did." He says, leaning in closer to her.

"And what did I do exactly?" She asks, backing away from him.

"Don't play dumb, you're too smart for that." He says, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in for a hug. "Thanks, Rach."

"I-I-" She drops it, thinking that nothing she'd say at this moment would make a difference. So instead of rambling like she always does, she relaxes in his arms and lifts her own to wrap around his waist, "Anytime." She smiles against his chest.

"Does that include booty calls?" He smirks, wiggling his eyebrows as she pulls away, glaring at him as she does so.

Smacking him in his chest and shoving him away, she shakes her head, "You had to ruin it, didn't you?"

"I think I fixed it." He says, smirk still in place. "Come on, take me home." He says, nodding towards her car.

"Where's yours?" She asks, "I mean, not that I mind, but how did you get here?"

"Long story." He says, walking over to the passenger door, "C'mon, Berry. Let's go before I freeze my ass off."

"O-okay." She says, unlocking her door and climbing in. "You seem- happy?" She tells him as they make their way to back home.

"Well, I sort off am." He smiles, "Can I ask you a favor though?"

"Sure." She says, looking at him as she approaches a stoplight.

"Take me to your house, I'm not ready for mine just yet." He tells her, and he's not lying. He's not sure that he's able to confront his mother after the story he's just heard, because he knows it'll be too much for him, "I just- I don't-"

"It's fine." She smiles reassuringly, "We can watch a movie or whatever." She says, and he can't help but think she's not herself at the moment; almost as if she's on autopilot.

"No musical shit." He jokes, and he's bummed that he only gets a smile in return. "You know, you were amazing out there tonight."

"Thanks." She answers, that fake smile still in place.

"I mean it, seriously, I don't think I've ever seen anyone move like you." He muses, watching her face and waiting for her to give him anything other than that smile.

She shrugs, "That's because you don't attend any shows or actually see other people dance, Noah. I'm nothing special."

"Yes, you are." He says angrily, "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing." She answers.

They arrive at her house, and she's about to open her door when he grabs her forearm and stops her from getting out, "It's not nothing. If it was, you wouldn't have just said that, you would have bragged and said that you were the best and that you _knew _you were amazing. What's wrong?"

"I told you, _it's nothing._ Drop it." She hisses as she tries to wiggle her way out of his grip.

"Rach…" He says softly. "Is it-"

"Don't." She says firmly. "Just don't."

"Tell me." He urges as he loosens his grip on her.

Sighing, she falls back on her seat, head reclining on the head-rest, "I just- I don't know. I hate. That's all; I'm just so full of hate. I've never felt hate before, jealousy? Yes. Intense dislike? All the time. Anger? sometimes, but this? I rarely ever feel it. And it's directed to no one in particular- just the situation. Does that make sense?"

"I think it's directed towards Finn and Satan, but that's just me." He offers.

She laughs that bitter and uncharacteristic laugh of hers, "The funny thing is, I don't hate Santana for it. Or Finn for that matter, I'm disappointed is all."

"Yeah, well, It'll be okay, right?" Puck offers.

"I hope so." She says, finally getting out of the car.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's note: **Here we are, ladies and gents. I know I promised some of you that some things will happen in this chapter, but unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it, some things got in the way, and as such, we have more puckelberry than Schue bashing and Santana revenge/apology in this chapter.

And as always, I apologize for any grammatical and spelling errors. I'm horrible at editing. If I were to liken writing to a vegetable, while the actual plotting of the story is a potato, the editing is mashed potatoes. I don't know if that makes sense but what I'm trying to say is that after a while, I can no longer distinguish between the words and the background. It's frustrating.

Any who, have fun! And remember, reviews save fairies.

Also, angels.

* * *

Rachel leads the way across her front lawn and to the front door. She reaches inside her bag to pull out her keys, and as she lifts her hand to bring it to the lock, Puck can't help but notice her slightly shaking hands fumbling with it. It was either because she was cold, which he highly doubted because she was wrapped up in a coat and the weather wasn't that bad- at least not enough to cause her to shake, or it was because she was probably still angry at what happened this afternoon. He was pretty sure it was the latter. It baffled him to no end to know that an emotion could elicit that kind of response from anyone. To be honest, it was scaring him. He would ask her about it, but he didn't want to upset her again and considering the fact that aside from that short confession in the car, all he was getting from her were vague one sentence replies which were equivalent to one worded replies in Rachel Berry speak, and he didn't want to take that chance.

He also couldn't help but feel guilty as he watched how emotionless her face was becoming. It looked as if she was trying so hard to keep her self together that parts of her were slipping, and he could almost see how awful she must feel. For a girl who was usually so upbeat, confident and defined by no one else but her, and whom however bad a day she was having would just suck it up and go behind whatever mike she was given and own whatever stage she was on to be that down in the dumps- if it were, that she had to drown whatever she was feeling was slightly surreal and beyond depressing.

He didn't know her well enough, but he figured that she wasn't the kind of girl to talk about her feelings- well, not to anyone at least. After spending a good part of his day with her, he knew that she'd just bury all this, forgive Finn and just channel all this rage and disappointment into her performances instead. But he wouldn't have that.

"So, where are your dads?" He asks, taking off his coat and hanging it next to hers in the closet by the foyer.

"Out for dinner, I guess." She shrugs, as she closes the closet door.

"Why didn't you go out with them?" He asks, confused as he follows her into the living room.

"I didn't feel like it." She sighs, plopping down on the couch.

"Rach-" He says in a soft tone as he reaches his hand in an effort to try and comfort her.

"So what movie do you want to watch?" She cuts him off, not wanting him to ask her what she thought he was going to ask.

Sighing he asks, "I dunno, what are you in the mood for?"

"Blood and gore." She answers seriously, walking over to look through the movie collection.

He's taken aback for a moment before he lets out a laugh, "Wow, that's…unexpected."

"Yes, well, I think it reflects my current mood wonderfully, don't you think?" She shrugs again, smiling playfully, but as it were, bitterness was sprinkling every facial expression now.

"Dramatic much?" He asks, kneeling down beside her as he looks through her collection as well.

"I live my life through theatricality. It's expected for me to exaggerate my emotions, Noah." She jokes, giving him a soft yet still uncharacteristic smile.

He's sensing that she's trying to contribute to the conversation just so he doesn't ask her how she's doing again, and he thinks it's fair and quite understandable considering that he pretty much does the same. He'll let her have her peace- for now. "Sure."

"Ahh! How about Kill Bill? Revenge. Murder. It's perfect." She grins, holding up the DVD in front of her face with both hands excitedly.

"You're kind of scaring me." He tells her, prying the DVD from her hand and placing it by the coffee table.

"Don't be so such a killjoy, I was merely making a sarcastic comment about the severity of my inner imaginary axe-murderer. A joke- if you will." She says, crossing her arms.

"Your inner axe-murder?" He asks, raising an eyebrow warily.

"Yes, his name is Percy." She smiles, this one teasing her eyes just a little and bringing out some of that old Rachel that's been missing for the past five hours.

"So you're not going to kill Finn and Santana?" He asks slowly.

"Noah, don't be absurd. I told you, I'm not mad at either of them, well I am, but I know I shouldn't be. It's not my place." She says honestly, before getting that smile on her face again, "So rest assured, I'm not going to kill them because for one, I don't have a valid argument should I decide to kill them when my case is taken to court. Not to mention that there's no broadway in jail. Also, what am I going to do without a male lead?" And she can't help the low chuckle at the end.

"I could be your male lead." He offers, jokingly.

"While that is true," She smiles, bumping his shoulder, "I love him too much to kill him." She says sadly, walking over to the couch, that joking tone long gone.

He's not sure what to do, so he picks up the DVD and turns it on, but before he's about to press play, he turns around, walks over her and grins widely, "You want popcorn?"

"I'm not really hungry." She laughs as she sees how excited he is, but not wanting to rain on his parade, she adds, "But I guess you can't watch a movie without some popcorn." She shrugs, standing up.

"Exactly." He says, following her into the kitchen, very much appreciating the view from behind as he watches the sway of her hips and how her shirt rode up as she stood up, offering him a lovely- He stops that thought abruptly, thinking that it wasn't a good idea to think about her that way right at this moment.

He watches as she puts the popcorn in the microwave before jumping up on the counter and crossing her legs, "So..?

"So." He answers, walking over to her and leaning against the counter beside her.

She laughs, shaking her head, "This is so weird."

"But a good weird, right?" He asks, tilting his head to look at her.

It's a while before she answers, but there's a smile on her face when she does, "Yeah."

Another wave of silence washes over them, and he figures he should just get to the point, "Look, Rach-" He starts, attempting to try his luck yet again as he rests one of his hands on her knees.

"The popcorn finished!" She yells happily, jumping off the counter almost too enthusiastically.

He takes a deep breath, because he's trying to maintain what little patience he has, because god knows this girl deserves it, before following her as she pours the popcorn into a bowl. So instead of engaging in a yelling match which she'd probably win, because she has super-vocal strength, he decides to take a different course of action; he'll charm her into talking to him.

He walks up right behind her, placing his hands on the counter on either side of her, and basically trapping her there. He lowers his head, and whispers into her ear, "Mind not cutting me off, Rach. It's very impolite, you know." And as he moves away, he lets the tip of his nose graze the side of her neck and back up again before resting his head on her shoulder. He takes the bowl away from her hand, and tells her, "Don't look at me, okay? Just let me talk."

"Noah, what are you doing?" She asks warily.

"Ba- Rachel, you did something for me today. Something big. I never expected it would be you to help me get through this- whatever, but you did. You didn't even talk me into a coma or annoy me about it, you just- you were there, you understood and that was enough. And- I just, I dunno- I'm not good with this, but- just let me help you like you helped me."

She turns around slowly, her hands finding his chest, and pushing him away, "Noah, that's really sweet, and I appreciate what you're doing, but I don't need-"

"Yes, you do. You're just too stubborn and headstrong to let anyone in. I'm here, I want to help, so just let me." He says, grabbing her hands from where they were on his chest and bringing them to rest by her side. "Please." He adds, squeezing her wrists in earnest.

She looks away from him, head bowing down, and her hair hiding her face away from him as she takes a deep breath, "Fine."

"Fine?" He repeats, not quite convinced.

"Yes, fine." She says, lifting her head to lock her eyes with his.

He takes a deep breath, licking his lips before he speaks, "Look, I know we weren't friends, but we are now, and I may not seem like that good of a listener, but I've got ears like dumbo, I'll surprise you." He smiles as he sees her laughing just a little, "I'm here for you, okay? If you want to hit someone, hit me. If you want to yell at someone, yell at me. If you want to cry, I have awesome guns, you know." He says, flexing his arms before wrapping them around her waist and lifting her on the counter, her laugh causing the tears in her eyes to fall on her cheek, "Just- know, I'm here." He says finally, lowering his head to get a look at her face before wiping away the tears with his thumb.

Then she starts crying, like legit crying, and he doesn't know what to do. He should have known this would happen; he should have prepared, but crying girls will forever be his kryptonite, so he doubts that having known this would happen would have been able to make a difference, "Rach, baby, shit- what's wrong?" She looks so small and fragile so he does the first thing that comes to mind, he gathers her up into his arms and pulls her tight against him, "Shh, it'll be okay."

"No, it's just-" She sniffs, trying to regain her composure, "Why are you being so nice to me? Nobody ever-"

"Because you deserve it." He answers simply. And he's pretty sure that was the right thing to say, if her sobbing into his neck was any indication. Or was that a bad thing? Shit, girls are weird. He doesn't say anything, and just leaves her to let it all out.

He probably shouldn't be thinking about how soft and amazing her lips feel on his neck and how her breath on his skin is sending shivers down his spine and causing his hairs to stand on end, but he's never been one for self-restraint, but he tries to focus on making her feel better instead of getting a hard-on that he'd be sure to get a lecture- and most likely get kicked out of the house for. "Hey, hey, come on." He says, rubbing her back.

"I'm sorry." She mumbles against his neck, lifting her head slowly, wiping away the tears as she gives him a smile, "It's just- overwhelming."

"What is?" He asks, handing her a napkin from behind him. His hands are on her knees again.

"This." She says, motioning to him, "You."

"I'm a stud, babe." He smirks, wiggling his eyebrows. "Of course, I am."

She laughs lightly, her face slowly simmering down from the sadness it was brewing a few minutes ago, "True, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do." He says, grabbing a handful of popcorn from the bowl behind her, and stuffing it in her mouth. He bursts into laughter as he sees the look of shock on her face.

"Hey!" She protests, but not one to spit food out, because that's not very polite, and she was nothing but, "Mmmmmm, s'good." She smiles, her eyes still glistening from the tears dancing around her just a couple of minutes ago.

"I bet it is, come on." He says, moving away from her so she can jump off the table, "Midget." He mutters.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't just say that." She says sweetly, grabbing his hand and dragging him back to the living room.

He goes to sit down, tugging at her hands, causing her to fall by his side, and bumping into his chest. They start laughing, her head still on his chest while her hand was sprawled on his knee for support. She looks up at him, another unrecognizable smile on her face, "What?" He asks.

"Nothing." She says, shaking her head.

"Bullshit." He scoffs, raising his eyebrows at her, daring her to question him. "You know you're not off the hook, yet."

"What hook?" She asks, and he wants to slap himself for thinking that she looked so adorable looking up at him like that, her brows furrowed and all.

"The Hudson hook. Satan hook. Take your pick." He says.

She lifts herself off him, sitting straight, "I already told you how I feel about them, I'm just being silly-"

"Don't give me that shit. You keep on saying that you're not supposed to feel angry, or that it's not your place. But you are, you can be mad, it's okay. You have every fucking right too!"

"They already think I'm a selfish inconsiderate and crazy obsessed rhymes with witch, no need to give them more reason to think so." She says quickly, lifting her knees to her chest whilst trying very hard not to sound too insecure.

"No one fucking thinks that, stop it." He says, grabbing her by the ankles and turning her to face him. "Santana and Quinn are just bullies, they do all that for show. I know, Rach. They- don't tell anyone I said this, but they're jealous."

"Of me?" She asks incredulously.

"Is that so hard to believe?" He can't help but laugh, "You're amazing."

"Well, yeah. They're pretty and popular and I'm, you know, me." She says, gesturing to herself.

"I'm not just saying this because of what you did for me, you know." He says, squeezing her leg, "You really are amazing. You do everything you want and you don't care what anyone else thinks. Do you know how hard that is? Nobody is who they are in high school, but here you are not giving a flying fuck what anyone thinks, so yeah, they're jealous."

There are tears in her eyes again as she listens to him talk about her like he was, while she's sitting there biting her lip, trying not to cry, and for the first time- aside from a few atrocious performances by her fellow glee clubbers, she's speechless. It was a bit funny how the roles were reversed in this situation; Puck was doing all the talking while she was- well, a blubbering mess. Not that he ever was a blubbering mess, well, a blubbering mess in his own way at least. She doesn't know what comes over her, but she's pretty sure that she's completely rational when she lunges forward, falling against his chest while her arms wrap around his neck, "Thank you." She whispers.

"It's true." He laughs, wrapping his arms around her waist before rubbing circles on her back as he tries to comfort her. "And don't you ever forget it."

Rachel pulls away first, her hands still wrapped around his neck, taking a moment to look at him; his face, eyes, everything. She notices a few freckles just under his eyes, and how his eyes were so green right now with only tiny flecks of gold splashing around, and she can't help but wonder at how beautiful he is at this moment. Not just aesthetically, because she's never denied that, she always knew he was gorgeous, but this, she never saw this side of him, and for just that moment, almost fleeting, she thanked Shelby for breaking her the way she did or else she wouldn't be here. Lost in the beauty and mesmerized by all the thoughts in her mind, she's surprised when she feels a warm pair of lips brushing over hers. She's hesitant at first, but it felt so right, so good, that she didn't even question it, she just- let him.

He didn't know why he did it, it wasn't part of the plan, but something came over him when she started looking at him like that; like she was amazed, or as if he had just given her- not a Tony, that was too generic, but the world. She was seeing something in him, he knew it. No one ever looked at him like that; like he was the most remarkable person in the planet; that he wasn't just some piece of man-whoring shit. He couldn't- wouldn't- shouldn't have kissed her, but he did.

They were slow kisses at first, soft almost needy yet careful as if they would break if they moved any faster. He was cradling her face, while her hands were on his neck, moving ever so slightly to rest on his chest, while playing with the hem of his shirt. He let one hand fall to her waist, as his tongue made an appearance, licking her bottom lip, begging to be let in. She bites his lip, and he groans, "Don't do that or I won't be able to control myself." He says, as she starts trailing his neck with soft kisses, "Sorry." She says, just under his ear, before taking it in her mouth.

"Oh god." He moans, before taking both his hands and placing them on her hips as he leans forward, pushing her to lay down on the couch. She laughs as he falls between her legs, and his hand starts caressing her leg, slowly snaking up her thigh, while the other is cradling her neck. He doesn't waste anytime, and as soon she laughs, he pushes his tongue inside and he's almost embarrassed at how good this feels. He feels her hand playing with his Mohawk and it does things to him that shouldn't be done just by touching him like that. It felt like he was on fire, and every touch was a sting. As much as he was enjoying her mouth though, he wants to have all of her right now, so he moves his lips away from hers, brushing past her jaw line, and licking a trail up and down her neck, loving the way she's breathing out his name as he does so. He leaves open mouthed kisses down her throat and lingers on her collar bone for a while, before finding her lips again. She's ready for him this time, her mouth opening just in time, and their tongues dancing around each other, both completely dumbstruck at the way every touch was making them feel.

Puck pulls away suddenly, "Is there something wrong? Did I bite you again?" She asks.

"Why would that be wrong?" He laughs, kissing her again, "But wait-do you hear that?"

"What?" She asks, looking at the window behind him, "I don't hear anything." And just as she says that, there's a knocking at the door.

"Rachel! Open up, come on, please. I'm sorry, baby. Just let me explain!" They hear a voice yelling, and there's no doubt in either's mind that it's Finn.

"You better get that." Puck says, sitting up awkwardly. "I'll keep out of the way."

"No, no, no, no." She mutters to herself, still clinging to his arm, "Make him go, I don't-"

Surprised by her frantic behavior, he reaches for her shoulders, grabbing each with one hand, "Rachel, relax, what's wrong?"

"I don't want to see him, make him go away, I'm not ready for this." She says, her breathing still unsteady from the heated make-out session.

He takes a deep breath, "Do you love him?" He asks.

"I-I….I don't know anymore." She says honestly, her hands touching her lips.

"Forget about that, I didn't kiss you, okay?" He says reluctantly, trying really hard to be the good guy for once, "Just go and talk to him, it'll come to you. You'll know what to do." He says.

"Noah..-"

"Just go." He says, pushing her off the couch, "I'll be here, waiting. Go."

She sighs, "I won't forget it." She says softly, placing a kiss on his temple before leaving to answer the door, missing the smile that lights up his face as she walks away.

She walks slowly, standing on her tip toes as she reaches the door to look through the peephole, he was sitting on the steps with his head in his hands; he looked like a mess. She doesn't know what she'll say or if she should tell him about what just happened. Deciding to take Puck's advice and just go with it, and hopefully, she'll figure it out. She opens the door, "Hello Finn." She nods, pursing her lips before closing the door behind her and going to sit behind him.

"Oh, shit, Rach. I don't know what- She just, I'm really sorry. It happened a really long time ago, we weren't even together!" He rambles quickly, "Please, Rachel, I really am sorry."

"Why didn't you tell me before then? When I told you about Jesse?" She asks, "Why keep it secret?"

"I dunno, it was- I was trying," He sighs, "You were with Jesse and I was jealous, you were gonna do it with him and I didn't want to look like the bad guy or whatever, so I didn't say anything."

"That makes absolutely no sense." She shakes her head, laughing bitterly. They both stay quiet after that, an awkward sort of silence. But then, Rachel perks up, almost as if she just realized something, "You had sex with her but you didn't tell me to make me seem like some sort of slut for sleeping with Jesse while you held out. Were you trying to guilt me into breaking up with him? Is that what you were going for?"

"No, that's not-"

"Oh my god!" She yells in frustration as she stands up, "And here I am feeling sorry for myself!" She scoffs.

"That's not why, I didn't-"

"Why then, if not for that reason, hmm? Was it because she was prettier than me and you thought I'd come running after you if I found out?"

"Rachel, come on, it's not like that." He stands up following her as she paces the front lawn. "I love you."

"I thought I did too, Finn, I really did." She says after calming down, "But I'm not that person anymore, and you know why? I was so blind, so in love with you that I never saw it coming." She takes a deep breath before going to sit down on the steps, "I'm not who I am when I'm with you, I used to be, but I lost my way. Do you know how awful it feels to doubt yourself every minute of every day, to feel as if I have to prove myself to you every time I'm around you and other girls. You're always looking the other way, and flirting with them while I'm just sitting there. When did I become that person? You made me forget who I am, Finn." She says, her voice breaking at the end. She licks her lips and swallows back the tears that are threatening to fall as she regains her composure, "I swore I'd never let anyone change me, and here I am, sitting in front of the boy who did just that, and I can't anymore, I just can't.

"I-I don't know what to say…" Finn says, not knowing what to do, "I'm really sorry."

"No, I'm sorry." She sighs, "I'm not finished yet, there's something you need to know."

"What?" He asks, confused.

"I kissed Noah, well he kissed me, but I kissed him back." She says slowly, looking up at him to gauge his reaction.

"What?" He says angrily, "What the hell? What?" He asks again, "Are you serious?"

"Completely." She answers confidently.

"Wh- wait, what? You're trying to make me feel guilty for what I did and here you are telling me that you cheated on me with my best friend!"

"Technically, we weren't together, because having sex and lying about it broke that contract." She says, standing up to look at him defiantly, "But I am sorry, not for the kiss, but for how it happened." And she really meant it, she didn't feel the least bit regretful about kissing him, if anything, she felt like it was the best decision she ever made.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asks, his face held in contempt.

"Noah ran after me, Finn. He made sure I was all right. He told me it was okay, he reminded me of the me that I lost. He said everything you didn't, he was there for what you weren't. I don't know how I can make this right between us, but I know that I can't be with you anymore. I-I'm sorry." She finishes, and she feels as if a weight has been lifted off her shoulders.

There's a moment of silence. She starts shifting her feet, waiting for him to say something. She looks at him and she thinks she sees his face soften just a little.

"Shit." He mutters as he brings a hand to drag down his face, "I really messed up, huh?"

"Yes, you did." She smiles, and she's surprised that that was all it took, "But we can still be friends though, right?"

"I guess, but I need time to get over you first." He smiles back, "I really love you, you know."

"I know." She says, kissing his cheek.

"You were too good for me anyway." He says, kissing her back, on the cheek.

"You just realized that?" She jokes, letting out a low chuckle.

"Nope, always knew." He laughs, "But can I be mad at the Puck thing, though?"

"That's fair, I guess." She shrugs.

"Did it have to be him?" He asks, his tone almost whiny.

She bites her lip, "I'm as surprised as you."

"Naaw, I'm not. He's a good guy, well aside from him always stealing my girls.." He says, but his tone is playful.

"He didn't steal me..., he found me." She says, shrugging and letting out a laugh as she hears how cheesy it sounds, "I still love you, and the kiss with Noah- I don't know what'll happen with us, but he was just being a friend."

"So friends kiss friends?" He asks, his hands snaking around her waist slowly, and pressing her against him.

"Finn..-" She says, her hands curling around his, trying to push him away.

"One last kiss." He pleads, just inches away from her face.

"Please, don't." She tells him, her head bent down.

"I need this, just one time, please." He asks, and she's wondering why he's so insistent, but she figures it wouldn't hurt.

"Okay," She sighs, lifting her head to meet his. She closes her eyes and lets him kiss her one last time, missing the smirk Finn was giving to a certain someone peeking out the window.

* * *

**Author's not #2:** Okay, I'm pretty sure I like this chapter. And I couldn't help making Finn an ass after seeing last week's Valentines episode, so yeah. We still have more things to work out, I know, but I hope you had fun. I won't ask you to review, but if you insist...go ahead.


	11. Chapter 11

Part Two: The Day after.

Puck slowly regains his consciousness as his eyes flutter open to an unfamiliar room, he's not fully awake yet so he closes his eyes back again, and opens up a few minutes later. He allows his eyes to adjust to the faint moonlight coming through the window, rubbing the sleep away from his eyes. As the blurriness fades, he feels more than senses the warm body next to him.

He's still not fully awake yet, so he's not sure why he is where he is, but he's spent enough time with himself to know that this isn't all that weird for him; waking up in someone else's bed. He glances to his side, to the girl's night stand, seeing the clock there blinking with the numbers 3:00 am gleaming at him. He groans, thinking that it's way too early to bolt. So instead, he grabs the girl's waist, pulls her from across the bed, and places his hands on her stomach, just under her shirt, as he presses her against him.

It's only when he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes, fully intent on going back to sleep that his eyes fly open suddenly, widening in shock as he recognizes the scent of the girl in his arms. Now, he's not the kind of guy that knows this shit, but it's kind of hard not to with this particular one; Rachel. He's spent most of his day with her, and she's had quite an impact on him whether she knows it or not, so yeah, he knows how she smells. He's hugged her long enough.

Upon realization, he doesn't let go of her, but instead, his hands push her shirt up and he finds himself relishing in the soft feel of her skin as he traces idle patterns across and around her belly button. He vaguely hears a voice in his head telling him how creepy and perverted he's being, but he figures he's in bed with her, so he's allowed.

Slowly though, as his hands explore that small expanse of skin that he's set as a boundary, he allow his thoughts to drift off to the events of the past night. It was a long day, so he's having a problem differentiating between his memories, and as such his thoughts are as messy as that of a drunken housewife.

He recalls a kiss, and when he does, he can't help but smile. But then, he recalls another, but this one? This one does funny things to his heart and as anger fills up his chest, he realizes that he's fisted her shirt in his hand. Not wanting to wake her up by scaring her, he slowly removes his hand, and rolls over on his back.

He lifts the covers, taking a peek to check on their situation since he's finding it hard remembering anything from last night. They're both wearing clothes, so assuming nothing happened, he groans, but this time it's because her shorts have ridden up so high that it's almost sinful and he feels even more perverted.

He lays back, sighing as he looks at her one last time, with her hair fanned across the pillow, and her neck just begging to be kissed. He pulls the covers over her, he tells himself it's because he doesn't want her body enticing him, but it's also because she's curling up when he sees her shiver as a wind seeps through the open window. He looks back up at the ceiling, taking a deep breath.

For the past twenty four hours, he's been doubting every emotion's coursing through his body. He's been telling himself that he doesn't know what he feels about anything; he doesn't know how he feels about his father, about his friends, his life, his mother, and this new found past about his dad. He had to spend hours pondering all these things to reach any sort of conclusion. But remembering that kiss, the girl that stood outside the window, the one kissing his best friend, he knows exactly how he felt about it. He remembers how he physically felt it on his shoulders, and how he could have just fell to the floor with the uselessness of his knees. There was a weight on his chest that he's pretty sure he could still feel, and it's poking holes inside him, it's not just pressure, it's worse.

He tries to take a deep breath, to calm himself down, to steady the simultaneous rage and understanding. He knew this was a possibility, he told her that himself. He probably should be congratulating himself, because as far as his intentions were before their kiss, this is what he wanted; he wanted her happy and smiling again.

He didn't run after that though, he stayed. He waited, just like he promised. Kissing her was a plus, it was never part of the equation. It was okay, he told himself, he'd manage. He was there as a friend, for a friend, because as far as he knew, she still needed him, even if she didn't know it yet. Her tears weren't all for Finn, because he knows how those look like, he's seen them far too much. No, this was something different, and he was going to find out what it was. Her face hinted at what it was that was bothering her, between the winces and the void expressions, it wasn't hard to guess.

So when she came back in, jumping up to hug him while smiling and telling him that she's happier than she's ever been, he doesn't ask questions. He recalls seeing an unidentifiable expression on her face when his arms don't close around her as tight as she would have liked, almost as if it was forced, but he was trying so hard not to break and start punching things that he couldn't bear to even look at her or talk about what just happened.

In retrospect, he thinks he should have hugged her back and congratulated her on her reconciliation with prince charming, but it wasn't worth the rejection and utter hopelessness he'd feel, so again, it probably was for the best.

They fell asleep waiting for her dad to come home. They were talking about nothing and everything while Puck used every ounce of his power to avoid the Finn topic, but when Rachel gets a text at about 12am telling her that there's an emergency at the hospital and he won't be back till morning, he doesn't have the guts to leave her alone, so he offers to stay, and when she's quiet for a long time, he asks her again, and she gives him what could possibly be the most amazing smile he's ever seen while nodding her head sheepishly. He thinks it's adorable.

And with that being the last thought he has before he drifts back to sleep again, he rolls over to lie on his stomach and as he falls back into the sleepy haze, he doesn't even feel his arm going to wrap around the body next to him.

Neither of them mention the kiss that night, not to say that neither of them haven't been respectively thinking about it. Rachel dismissed it as an innocent kiss on his behalf, thinking that it was absolutely ridiculous, even if they had grown closer this past day for him to have any sort of feelings for her. She was disappointed to say the least, but she was used to ignored kisses, so sporting her famous show face, she pretended it didn't happen. Whereas Puck thought he was being the good guy. After all, she did just get back together with Finn, allegedly, to his mind at least.

Rachel's eyes start stirring as the sun's morning rays shoot through her window mercilessly. She stifles a groan as she's reminded of an early morning dance class she has to attend. She really doesn't see the point in going, moreover, she thinks she deserves a break seeing as that she tore her body apart this past week just by practicing for her recital; she has the bruises to prove it.

Lost in the guilt she's feeling over the prospect of skipping the class, she doesn't notice the hand currently brushing past the underside of her breast. She lets out a gasp, turning her head to see Puck there, sleeping soundly, his head buried into the back of her neck.

After the initial shock of finding him in his current position, she lets out a sigh of relief as she registers the events of the previous day. She can't help but laugh at her situation, it is Noah Puckerman after all.

What's more unsettling is the fact that she actually doesn't mind the feel of his calloused hands on her skin, in fact, if anything, she kind of maybe loves it. Though, she'd never admit that. She quickly shakes that thought out of her mind, deciding that she should probably get started on her morning routine if she intends on getting to her dance class over with without any fuss.

She gently wraps her hand around his, trying to pull it off of her without waking him up. But as luck would have it, instead of just complying, Puck's hand reaches for her actual breast and squeezes it as he pulls her flush against him. She vaguely hears herself gasp, wincing as he grips her a little too aggressively.

To say that she was momentarily paralyzed by the surreality of the situation would be a vast understatement. Well, not so much, again, this in Noah Puckerman after all, but considering his behavior after their kiss yesterday, she thought he was, and it almost hurts her to say this, regretting it. She hadn't insinuated the kiss, but she didn't stop it either. Maybe he was confused, just as she was. Or perhaps, the intimate way he was holding her was out of instinct, he did sleep with women often, didn't he? Perfectly understandable. This doesn't change anything.

"Noah." She whispers awkwardly, not knowing what else to say_ "Hey, Noah! You're crushing me, would you kindly remove your hand before my father walks in and accuses you of deflowering his precious daughter" _doesn't seem like an appropriate approach.

When he only grunts and grips her harder, she calls out his name in a whimper, "Noah.." She tries to wiggle her way out, but when he breathes out her name, she stops struggling abruptly. She's over thinking again, or she's about to, but she's currently too distracted by the boy sleeping next to her who seems to be having a little situation digging into her thigh.

She takes a deep breath before trying again, "Noah?" Nothing. "Noah, wake up."

He can hardly distinguish her voice between the fuzzy line between sleep and consciousness so he decides to ignore whatever nagging he is apparently being subjected to and pulls whatever he's holding harder against him. "Mmmmm." He smiles against her neck.

"Noah, you're hurting me." She whimpers again, this time it's mixed in with a bit of frustration. She's also mad at herself for some reason, she thinks she should stop arguing with her classmates about her size, because apparently, they're right; she's awfully tiny.

He slowly allows his mind to adjust to his surroundings, and as a wave of realization seeps over him, his hand quickly recoils and he jolts upward muttering a quick, "Sorry."

If it weren't for the awkwardness of the situation, she'd probably be in hysterics over that look on his face and how quickly he got up off the bed. She stands up, adjusting her shirt as she gives him a sweet, very polite, somewhat measured smile, "Good morning." She says, biting her bottom lip to keep from laughing at his apparent discomfort.

"Morning." He smiles sheepishly, as soon as he stops avoiding her gaze and just gives in, "Look, uh- I'm sorry, I dunno what- to say, I just." He adds, rubbing the back of his neck while looking everywhere but at her.

"It's okay, Noah." And she doesn't even try to suppress the chuckle that comes out. "Relax, it's fine."

"Yeah?" He asks, relief evident on his features and he almost looks like a child when he finally looks up at her. "I mean, I thought you'd freak out because like the whole Finn thing and-"

"Finn thing?" She asks, confused as she makes up her side of the bed.

"Whatever, forget it." He says quickly.

She shrugs her shoulders and excuses herself as she heads into the bathroom. As she looks at her reflection in the mirror, she's surprised that Puck didn't flee in horror when he saw her frenzied appearance. She slowly lifts her shirt up and her eyes widen as she see the red marks on her chest. She doesn't let it bother her, because really, what is there to do at this point? Sighing, she pulls her shirt back down and reaches for her toothbrush.

Meanwhile, Puck is in the middle of having a panic attack back in her room. He's pacing the floor around her bed, and along with the string of profanities marching out of his mouth, he keeps muttering a few self-deprecating lines here and there and he tries really hard not to punch the wall behind one of her musical posters.

When she comes out of the bathroom with an amused look on her face as she ties her hair in some form of knot on her head, he tries really hard to keep his cool and stop acting like a chipmunk suffering withdrawal symptoms.

He's about to say something when he looks down to her chest, and he can't help it, but her tank top is very low cut and he sees how the top of her chest is red, "Shit, did I do that?" He points before quickly running a hand over his mohawk, "I really- I didn't even know that I was doing it. I'm sorry-"

"Noah, please, just stop. It's fine, I'm not mad." She shrugs, "You were sleeping, you didn't do it on purpose so I suppose I can't really blame you since you weren't consciously aware of your…let's say _actions-_ as it were."

"But-"

"It'll most probably fade within the next ten minutes, don't worry." She says, walking over to her closet, "There's a spare toothbrush in the cabinet." She motions to the bathroom, and he almost thinks that she might be the coolest uptight girl in the world for the simple fact that she's not as uptight as he thought she was. He sort of likes this overly laid-back Rachel, and apart of him swells up in pride knowing that he was one of the few if not the only one who got see this side of her, while the other part swells up for an entirely different reason, that of which having to do with those criminal shorts she was wearing and how she has his mark somewhere on her body.

He scurries into the bathroom rather uneasily before he embarrasses himself yet again and goes about his business as fast as possible before she berates for staying in there to long. "Mind if I take a quick shower?" He calls out.

"Sure, there's fresh towels in the closet." She answers distractedly, "I'll be downstairs."

When he's finished, he makes his way down the stairs, peeking into the living room to see that no one is there. He's thankful for the relief of not having an awkward parental confrontation. He walks into the kitchen, a smile on his face as he sees her leaning on the counter as she looks at something on her laptop, she starts typing something, and he clears his throat to avoid the creepy stalker thing he's got going. "Hey." He says, sitting across from her.

"Hi." She smiles, looking up for a moment before directing her attention back to her laptop screen.

"What are you doing?" He asks, sitting up a little and tilting his head to check out her screen.

"Just finishing up a few applications." She says, shoving his head back with a laugh, "None of your business."

"Ow, that hurt." He says, rubbing his head playfully.

"Well, it serves you right." She chuckles, "Anyway, I'm a terrible cook, so I'm afraid a hearty breakfast as my daddy would put it is out of the question, but, I make a mean bowl of cereal." She says, while still typing away, but as she says the last word, she looks up at him, adding a wink for good measure.

"Sounds awesome." He says, raising his eyebrows and bowing his head just a little, impressed.

"I don't think you'd like any of dad's cereals, but daddy has a guilty pleasure in artificially flavored ones, so Cap'n Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, or- um, yeah, that's it." She says, holding them up unsurely.

"Cap'n Crunch, _Fruity Pebbles_ is for chicks." He shrugs, adding the a tone of disdain as he says the second word.

"No, it isn't. That logic is flawed, I'm a girl and I don't eat it-"

"No, babe, you're a _chick_ who eats bird food, you don't count." He says, picking up a bottle right next to the milk carton, and he tries not to smile as he sees her accept his term of endearment without a reprimanding, "Seeds, Rach? Seriously."

"Noah, that's not-"

"S'no use arguing," He says, stuffing a mouth full of cereal in his mouth, "I already win." He says, holding up the flax seed oil in the other hand, "This is fucked up, man. No wonder you're so tiny."

"Noah, while I've come to terms with the inconvenience of my size, I hardly believe that my diet has anything to do with it. Anyway, I should probably get going." She says, closing her laptop and shoving in her bag.

"What are up to today?" He asks nonchalantly.

She groans as she remembers the dance class she has in twenty minutes. "Well, first, I have to get to my dance class, which I think is unfair, seeing as that I've contributed enough of my time to it this past month, then, I have to get an oil change for my car, which Kurt has so graciously offered to help with in exchange for an introduction to a certain boy from my dance class." She says in one breath as she clears up the counter.

"Oh, that seems fun."

"I'm exhausted, I really just want to just- relax, you know?" She sighs, finishing up her cleaning.

"I could help. If you want, I mean." He says with a shrug, "I could drop you off while I go fix up your car."

"It's fine I can handle it-" She sighs, running a hand through her hair, "That would be lovely actually. Are you sure you don't mind though? I don't want to be an inconvenience."

"Don't worry about it, babe." He says, standing up as he rubs his hands together excitedly, "Besides, I get to drive that too awesome for a midget like you car of yours." He grins mischievously.

She can't help but laugh, "Now, come on, that's offensive to more than just me."

"Don't care, doll." He says, grabbing her keys from her hand as he bolts out of the kitchen before grabbing her bag and shouldering it as he turns to look at her, "You coming?"

She was taken aback for a second, because even though she knows he can be a sweet guy, it's still a bit bizarre to actually see him in action like this. Quickly composing herself, and adorning that determined smile of hers, she follows him out.

When he drops her off at the dance studio, she climbs down, but before she closes the door, she looks up at him, "Kurt told me it shouldn't take long, so just come back here right after, okay?"

"Sure thing, boss." He winks, giving her a small salute.

"And no slushies!" She warns, "It's a pain to clean off."

"Got it." He says, "Now, go."

"Bye, Noah." She says, already halfway to the door. He sees Theo leaning casually against the wall, one leg perched on the wall, his head down as he plays around with the phone in his hand. He sees him look up and smile as Rachel approaches him, giving her a hug and a kiss on the forehead before going inside.

He convinces himself that Theo is gay, and that he shouldn't feel jealous, because he's a stud that got to sleep with her. Well, not sleep _sleep_, but actual sleep, but that's cooler than a kiss and a hug, right? Plus, he got to touch her boobs, even if it was under awkward circumstances.

He backs away, and heads towards the Hummel garage. Kurt is leaning over one of the cars his dad is working on when he gets there. He looks up at him with a raised eyebrow and a question on his lips as he gets out of the car, "Hey." He grunts.

"To what do I owe this fabulous and gossip filled turn of events?" Kurt asks, walking over to peek inside the car, "Wait- have you murdered her and stolen all her belongings?" He gasps, quickly covering his mouth before looking at him warily, "_Or, _did you seduce her into handing it to you?"

"Wow, s'fucking awesome how highly you think of me."

"Oh my. You're even talking like her- minus the profanity of course." He shrugs, "Was this an equal trade, proper use of words in exchange for a vehicle?"

"Geez, chill out, man." He says, shoving him away as he gets too close.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry, I tend to get away with these assumptions. They're like crack to me." He shrugs again, backing away to call out to his dad, "Dad, Rachel's car is here, do you mind?"

"Sure, just let me get this done over here." Burt replies from under the hood of the car, "Puckerman." He nods to him in greeting.

"Hey, Mr. Hummel." He greets back, "We still on for the super bowl this Sunday?"

"Yeah, Finn and I just installed the new TV." Burt laughs.

"So where's Rachel?" Kurt asks, interrupting their little chat, annoyance visibly evident in the roll of his eyes.

"Dance shit or other." He shrugs, "Just offered to help out, that's all." He really should have thought about the Kurt interrogation before volunteering to help her out with this.

"Mhhm, interesting, at nine o'clock in the morning?" He asks, eyebrows attempting a leap of faith as his mind wanders the possibility of the gossip gold he's about to unleash.

"I was in the neighborhood." He tells him, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Of course you were." He mutters, a mischievous gleam in his eye, "So, is that why Finn ratted my ear out last night about how you and Rachel may or may not have kissed?" He says, looking at him from the corner of his eye.

He tenses suddenly, and he doesn't know why he says what he says, but word vomit is in season, so he figures it couldn't have been helped. No use in denying it anyway. "She told him?" He asks.

Kurt perks up, silently praising himself over reeling Puck into talking, "Well, I would assume as much. Probably did it for a clean break, a clear conscious- if you will."

"What do you mean clean break? They're still together, aren't they?" He asks, his heart getting the best of him as it pounds a hole into his chest while he waits for the answer.

"Oh, you poor clueless thing." Kurt sighs, placing a hand on his shoulder, "They broke up last night."

"But she kissed him…." He drawls out.

"Oh never mind that." Kurt says, waving his hand at him, "Think of it as, well, it's probably equivalent to what you would call break-up sex, but alas, we the _not _sexually depraved, we just kiss." He smiles, patting his shoulder. "Well, not me per say, but that's besides the point."

Just after he finishes talking, Kurt backs away slowly as he sees the grin ripping Puck's face in half. His face is ten times brighter, and if it's possible, he looks almost giddy with joy. He never thought he'd use those words to describe Puck, but he is.

"Wait, wait, wait." Kurt says, pointing his finger at Puck accusingly, "You are not to pursue her in any form! Stay away from any emotional drama, she needs time to deal with the break up."

"But-"

"No buts! Do you want to be the rebound?" He ask, raising his eyebrows as he places his hands on his hip, "Well, do you?

"No, but-"

Kurt sighs, "Listen up, Puckerman. Finn was everything to Rachel. They were sickeningly in love- or so they thought, whatever, but be that as it may, they were very important to each other, regardless of the circumstances of their break-up, you understand where I'm going with this?"

"Yes, but-"

"Oh dear, why have I been cursed with such stubborn gossip subjects?" He sighs dramatically as he looks up to the sky, "I swear by all that is Marc Jacobs' spring line, I will make you regret going after her if I find out that you do. Just give her some time, let her make the first move. I mean, she just broke up with Finn less than twenty four hours ago, if not for her, then wait, out of respect for your best friend."

"Shit." He mutters, "I guess you're right, I don't want this to end before it starts- like all my _relationships_ seem to do."

"That's because all you think about is your reputation and your craven sexual appetites. Take the time to get to know her, establish a trust, a friendship, anything. Stop lusting after every girl you come a cross, it's not healthy."

"How would you know? Sex is very healthy." He crosses his arms defensively.

"I may have never had a relationship, but I read books on the subject, not to mention I have a very outstanding movie collection which-"

"Seriously? Books and movies? At least I'm speaking from experience," He laughs, leaning against the car door.

Kurt takes a deep breath, "You know what, forget it. But, for your sake, listen to what I said."

"Fine, but if she's all up on the Puckerone, I'm not gonna say no." He says defensively.

He scoffs, "You obviously don't know Rachel all that well."

"Speak for yourself." He throws back defiantly.

"Puck, the car's ready." Burt calls out as he wipes his hand from across the shop.

"Thanks, Mr. Hummel." He says, making his way to the car but not before threateningly jerking his head toward Kurt. He laughs when he lets out a squeal, "See you, Beyonce."

Kurt goes back to filing his nails, a scowl on his face as Puck laughs at him before his father appears in front of him, "Mind doing your job?" He asks, raising his eyebrows.

"Dad, I can't talk right now, I'm taking an emotional day." He says dramatically before storming out of the garage. Burt sighs, shaking his head as he goes back to work on the car in front of him.

He heads back to the dance studio, thinking that it was best to just wait for her until she finishes with the stupid dance thing she has so he can relax the monster inside his chest that just wants to shove her up against the wall and ravish her the way he- Okay, this isn't what he should be thinking. What Kurt said actually made sense, and he really didn't want to admit it in front of him, because he really didn't like the way the guy's face was all knowing and shit.

He runs a hand over his Mohawk and lets his head fall back on the headrest. But as much as tried, and as much as he fought, he couldn't help remembering how her lips felt against his, and how smooth her skin felt just this morning. He can almost smell her right now, but that's probably due to the fact that it's her car he's sitting in, but that's besides the point; point is, she's intoxicating.

The sound of laughter brings him back to the present, and as he lifts his head, he sees Rachel being held in Theo's arms as he spins her around with her legs popping up in the air. He can't help the growl in the pit of his throat, or the scowl on his face, or the way he's most likely going to break off her steering wheel. He watches as he puts her down, grabs her face in both hands and kisses her full on the lips. He sees red, and it's only until he sees Rachel's surprised face and wide eyes before she bursts out laughing that he thinks that maybe it's just a friendly excited in the moment type of kiss because Theo is currently doing cartwheels across the parking lot and jumping around like a fairy. They talk for a few minutes before she walks over towards his direction, she smiles apologetically as she opens the door, "Sorry, it was- just, well, we got it in the program, Noah. Both of us! I didn't even apply but they said they have an extra slot open for me." She says excitedly, and she's smiling up at him with those big does eyes, and they're sparkling and he's so caught up that he doesn't even feel her arms wrap around his neck, "This is big, Noah. Really big, I'm one step towards becoming a star." She whispers disbelievingly, closing her eyes tightly as she grips the back of his shirt.

"And you're surprised about that, baby? I mean, you're all confident and shit, why are shocked or whatever?" He asks as she pulls away.

"I don't know, I just thought-" She pauses for a second, "I know I'm very talented, and I never doubted that, but it was only to my standards, I didn't think other people actually thought I was good enough." She sighs as she settles back into her seat.

"That's bullshit." He scoffs, "You're the best, and everyone knows it, even if they're too fucked up to admit it."

She doesn't say anything, but a humble almost shy smiles crosses her lips, and it's not like she could really say anything to that, aside from berating him on his choice of words but she thinks she could let it slide just this once.

A few moments passed, shared in a somewhat comfortable silence, but that quickly comes to a stop as Puck hears Rachel groan, bending down to reach for her legs or something under the seat. He sees her lift her leg, resting her foot along the out line of the window, "I hate ballet sometimes." She mutters. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees her untie the bow at her ankle. "Jesus fuck!"

"Noah!" She scolds.

"What the fuck happened to you?" He says, furrowing his eyebrows, "Did someone gnaw your foot off and fail or some shit?"

She laughs at him, "These are new." She motions to her pointe shoes, "I had to break them in."

"By breaking them in, you mean breaking your foot? Geez, that looks painful as fuck." He grimaces as he tilts his head inquisitively.

"Noah, stop it. I know you're capable of less profane adjectives, so utilize it before I show you how crazy I can be." She says, wiggling her toes while trying to suppress several groans while failing to hide the winces.

"Berry, not to be un-respectful or whatever, but that was hot." He says seriously, and if it weren't having an affect on him somewhere under the belt, he'd probably laugh.

"Keep your eyes on the road." She tells him, nodding towards the road. "I don't want to die before I get my hands on a Tony or experience the pleasure of being on the receiving end of a standing ovation on my Broadway debut."

"Conceited much?" He asks playfully.

"I thought you said I was the best." She answers, looking up at him through her lashes as she unties her other shoe.

He looks over at her for a second, giving her a shy smile before shaking his head and laughs as he mutters a, "Whatever."

He drives over to his house after she complains to him about how _just awful_ it is for a person to wear the same clothes after a shower. So when they get there, they trade places and he says he'll see her later, and she smiles back at him, "Theo, Kurt and I were planning on having a celebratory thing over at my house with a couple of people from the recital, you could come if you want to."

"Do you want me to?" He asks.

"Why else would I be asking you, genius?" She nudges him playfully.

"I'll see you tonight then." He says, giving her a kiss on the cheek, and before he even notices what he's done, she's driving away.

* * *

**Author's note:** Sorry for the delay, and I also apologize for not getting to the review replies. It's kind of been a- let's say, defining week in my lifetime, and without revealing too much, I was unable to get any writing done. But luckily, I was able to get this chapter out. I don't know when I'll be posting next, as I've said, my life has taken a surprising turn of events, but most likely, I won't leave you hanging, and that, I promise you. But just that, it may or may not take longer to post these chapters up.

Due to said circumstances, I was unable to reply to any of your reviews, and I feel awful for it. Your love and support for this story is overwhelming to say the least, and I took solace in the replies I gave to you to show you how much, so I hope that you all know how much they mean to me, and how much I look forward to them. You've all been wonderful, and I can't thank you enough. Though, I will be getting to them shortly, but sorry for the delay.

To Issybell91, Schue bashing and the Santana situation will be taken care of, some things just wanted to happen first. Don't worry. But unfortunately, my fingers do the writing, not me ;)

Thank you for reading.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: **I apologize for what's about to take place. I surprised even myself. Blame it on emotional unbalance.

* * *

All the remnants of the day after are there, the floor aren't dirty but they don't carry those freshly vacuumed streaks either. The living room is tidy but doesn't have the scent of what the air purifier his mother usually turned on every morning makes it smell like. There's no dishes in the kitchen besides that one plate that Dani uses for her peanut butter sandwich that his mom usually makes in the morning to go with her glass of milk.

It's almost noon, and as Puck stealthily enters the house, careful not to make too much of a ruckus lest his mother see him awake this early and suffer a heart attack, because this doesn't usually happen. He's about to go upstairs when he hears his mother call out, "Noah?"

With his eyes shut, and jaw clenched, he throws his head back, stifling a groan as he replies, "Yes?"

"Honey, did you just get in?" She peeks out of the kitchen.

"Yeah." He says tiredly, rubbing the back of his neck as he walks over to her, giving her a kiss on the forehead, "Good morning?"

"Where have you been?" She asks worriedly, ignoring the smile he gave her, and immediately assuming the worst.

"Don't worry, I wasn't drunk or anything, I was just- I stayed over at a friend's house." He tells her somewhat truthfully.

"Oh, that's good." She sighs, patting his cheek, "Wait- what happened to your hand?" She asks, muttering something in Yiddish, too overwrought to listen to his pleas of reassurance.

"Nothing." He says, pulling back. "Come on, Ma. Just chill out."

"Noah." She warns, "What did you do?"

"I told you, it's nothing." He says, going to sit at the kitchen table. "Just got a little angry."

She sighs, walking over to the fridge and pulling out a bottle of water. She hands it to him and he mutters a 'thanks' as she goes back to making the sandwich she was in the middle of preparing before he got there.

It seems that what he said sort of explained things to her and he was grateful for her letting it go. She goes on to talk about Dani, school, and just plain steering away from a certain conversation which reminds him that as crazy as his mother is, she can be cool sometimes. But just as she was telling him about how Dani got the lead in the school play, he gets a text alert.

Fishing out his phone from his pocket, he opens it to see it's from Rachel. He gets a smile on his face, and he can't help the warm feeling in his heart or the skip it does in excitement for whatever she has to say.

_Rachel*: Don't tell anyone I cried. I'm not familiar with emoticons or other forms of text communication which illustrate emotion, but imagine a face with a threatening look and a finger poking at your screen. I'm serious. Have a lovely day, Noah._

And he doesn't even try to stop the laugh that rumbles deep in his chest, because only she would write a text that's about a paragraph long text wise, and sound like a thirty year old as apposed to the seventeen year old girl she really is. But, to be honest, he's a little confused as to why she would tell him that, it's not like he's the kind of guy to gossip about his day let alone a day worth of gross feelings and comforting crying girls. He figures she's just being Rachel, and maybe he likes it.

_Noah: Dont tell I helped and you got urself a deal babe_

His mother's watching him with an indescribable expression on her face, "Noah, who are you talking to?" She asks curiously, unable to help herself, because her son is currently sporting on the biggest smile on his face since, well, ever.

"Rachel." He says absentmindedly as he finishes typing up his reply. Realizing what he just said, his head shoots up frantically and he sees the most horrifying thing in the world; his mother with a grin on her face. "No, I meant-"

"Oh darling, shush." she waves her hand in front of her face, "Let me have this one piece of happiness."

"Mom." He groans, his head falling on the table.

"What did I say?" She says, holding her hands up in surrender, "I didn't even say anything."

"Please, just don't make a big deal out of this." He pleads.

"A bid deal of what? The fact that my beautiful boy is finally friends with an equally, if not more beautiful Jewish girl who you've tortured for the better half of my friendship with her fathers." She says, placing the sandwich beside his head.

"Yeah, I guess." He says, lifting his head, "Her dad's pretty cool though."

"You've met her dads too?" She asks, pulling out a chair as she sits across from him.

"Well, yeah. Just Hiram though." He says, taking a bite of his sandwich. "Why?"

"Nothing, just be thankful that girl never told her fathers what you used to do to her." She says, wiping a piece of dust from his brow. "Or else, I would be without a son."

He jerks his head away from her as she licks her finger, moving it to smooth out his hair, "Geez woman, boundaries." But she gives him a pointed look and he shuts up about it. And he's almost hesitant about what he wants to say, but he decides that he should just get this off his chest, "Mr. Berry and I talked about a few things actually…"

"Hmm, what about?" She asks, scratching a stain off the table.

"Well, um- you kind of." He stutters.

"Oh." She says, slowly looking up at him.

"About dad mostly." He adds. "Before."

"Noah."

"Look, don't worry, I think- I think it was for the best, you know?" He says, reaching for her hand.

"Yeah." She sighs, "I assumed it would have made you understand if you knew the whole story too, but.."

"But what?"

"Noah, your father and I-" She hesitates before taking a deep breath, "He really hurt me, and I think that sort of clouded my judgment about his personality, and that's why I never really spoke about him, it wouldn't have been fair to him really. Not to mention that the mere thought of what he did makes me tear up like one of those kids by the movie store when those vampire cut outs are on display." She laughs, hoping to lighten the mood.

"It's okay, I guess." He shrugs, "It's good to know though."

"I should probably thank Hiram." She says, wiping at the stray tears that were threatening to fall, "Is it wrong that I'm happy he told you instead of me?"

"I think it was better that he did anyway." He says, "I don't like crying chicks." He shudders playfully.

She laughs at him, "I'm no chick, Noah Puckerman, I'm your mother."

"Yep, unfortunately." He jokes, ducking away from the slap she was about to give him, wrapping his arm around her as she squeezes him tight.

"Noah, why do you smell like strawberries?" She says, sniffing the back of his collar, "Did you spend the night at one of those horrible married woman's houses that I've told you repeatedly not to?" She smacks the back of head.

"Chill out, woman!" He says, rubbing his head, "I didn't, I swear."

"Then why do you smell like strawberries?"

"Well," He starts awkwardly, "The friends house I spent the night in, um, it's a girl- more specifically, Rachel."

"Oh my, you didn't." She gasps, "Noah, please tell me you didn't."

"Geez, ma." He says, "Thanks for the support."

"Noah, be serious. Did you, you know-" She motions with her hands in front of her, clearly insinuating a sex gesture.

"Fucking hell." He mutters, "No, I didn't." He adds angrily.

"Oh, thank god." She says, placing her hands on his chest.

"Would that have been so awful?" He asks, his brows furrowing as he crosses his arms.

"Well, as much as I'd love a Jewish girlfriend for you, I don't think I can handle confronting her fathers after you break her heart."

"_Ma!"_

"What? You're my son, I know you. You're not the kind of committed boyfriend that she's probably looking for, not to mention, isn't she dating Finn? You can't cross that line again, sweetie." She says, picking up his plate and walking over to the sink.

"No, they broke up." He tells her, his tone clearly annoyed with this conversation.

"Oh, well, that's too bad." She says, looking over at him for a few seconds before going back to washing the dishes.

It's quiet for a while before he speaks up again, "I can be, you know?"

"Can be what, dear?" She asks.

"I can be what she's looking for." He tells her, standing up.

"Noah," She says, shutting the water off, and turning to look at him, "I didn't mean it like that. You're a wonderful boy, and I want the best for you, I do. It's just that when it comes to girls, you- well, you're you."

"Mom, you're just making this worse." He says, making a move to exit the kitchen.

"Wait!" She grabs his arm, "I don't meant to, but-" She sighs, "Just be careful, okay? Don't do something she'll regret."

"I'm not going to do anything, she's just a friend." He says honestly.

"That's what they all say, next thing you know, you're in a house with two kids." She tells him, "Not that that would be a bad thing, I mean she is Jewish after all."

"MOM!"

"Oh shush, mark my words, this friendship will blossom into a romance and then, I'll finally stop worrying that your grandmother's ring will end up on the hand of a self-confessed harlot." She pats his cheek, "Thank you, dear."

He tries not to roll his eyes but that proves to be unsuccessful as he turns around, making his way out of the kitchen, and up to his room. He falls onto his bed, realizing that maybe he doesn't wake up this early for a reason, but looking back on the events of this morning, he doesn't really regret it. Not to say that he didn't feel like a douche for how he groped Rachel this morning, but it wasn't his fault really, his subconscious tends to get away with things sometimes. Although, as he was recalling the awkward situation, he's reminded of the dream he was having before it was so unfairly interrupted.

He groans in both frustration and pleasure as images of Rachel and Rachel's very wet and very naked body writhing under, over and in front of him slowly surface from the depths of his mind. He laughs as he imagines what her reaction would be if she really was psychic or had the ability to look into his head and see the un-doubtfully risqué positions she was being put it in. He's pretty sure she'd bust his balls for invading her privacy or some shit, but he's thankful that he's not in some low-budget supernatural movie at the moment and relishes in the safety of his subconscious as he's drifting away between the legs of a dream girl he's more than happy to spend his whole life sleeping for.

_His hands ghost over her thighs as her hips rotate in and around him, sounds of pleasure spew from her mouth as her hands brush her hair back, while the other rests on her neck, slowly drifting down, caressing her own collarbone and falling down between the valley of her breasts before resting firmly on his chest. Using it as leverage, she lifts herself off him almost completely before slamming right back down. He grabs her hips aggressively as she lands on him, holding her tight as he thrusts upwards, causing her to cry out his name. He does it again, loving the way 'Noah' falls from her lips. His eyes roam over her parted lips hungrily, watching as she bites down on her bottom lip as he pounds into her from under. He lifts his hips upwards, rolling them so he's on top without pulling away from her. As soon as her back hits the ground, his lips crash on hers, devouring her mouth in a torrent of passion as he moves inside her mercilessly. He stands on his knees, his hands gripping her waist, dragging her along with him as he leans down to pull a puckered nipple in his mouth, the sensation causing her to cry out in ecstasy. He kisses a trail down her body, over her waist, around her sides, and down to her belly button while moving painfully slow inside her. He falls back down on her and plunges into her with much more force, his lips find hers again, and as he feels her clench around him, he moves away from her mouth, giving her a chance to breathe and smirks as a gasp escapes her lips with his name floating on the outskirts. He rests his head on her forehead, his mouth slightly parted as it rests on her jaw, her face turned to the side, clutching his forearm and shoulder with the same ferocity burning inside her. He vaguely hears the sound of a whistle or a ring, but he thinks it's because he's about to come, and when he goes to grab her face for one last kiss, she's gone. _

He wakes up to the sound of his phone ringing with a jolt, his breathing erratic, and his heart threatening to jump out of his chest. Reaching for the phone, he sees Rachel's name. He's not sure what he's feeling guilty about or what's with sudden embarrassment, not to mention why he's nervous about the prospect of hearing her voice, but- oh wait, he was having sex with her a minute ago. Granted, it was just a dream, but- a very weird dream, he thought. His sex dreams were usually hot, quick and dirty. This was, well, it was _different_. Quickly shaking his head, he answers the phone, "'Sup, Berry." He greets casually, clearing his throat as he registers how very sex-like it sounds.

"Noah-" He hears her sniff, and her voice is quiet as a commotion of voices is heard in the background.

"Rach, are you okay?" He asks dourly.

"No." She answers unevenly.

"What- where are you?" He asks uneasily.

He hears her taking a deep breath, "There's been an accident, I didn't know who else to call.." Her voice breaks at the end, and he's already half way down the stairs, grabbing his coat off the hanger and making sure his keys were in his pocket before exiting the house.

"Where are you?" He asks again, after her crying simmered down a little bit.

"Hospital.." She manages to say, "It's dad." She adds, sobbing even harder.

"Shh, Rachel, it's gonna be okay." He reassures her, "Just stay with me, okay?" When she doesn't say anything, he asks, "Where's Hiram?"

"I don't know, he just went in to check but it's been awhile and he's not back yet and the nurse told me they need more hands on deck and I don't think he's coming back." She tells him with another sniff. "Noah, I'm scared."

"I'll be right there, baby." He tells her, "Just hold on."

"It's really bad." She says in a small voice, "There's so many people. Dad's in surgery, and daddy's performing one. I just- I need.."

"Five minutes, Rach. It'll be fine."

"I'm sorry." She whimpers. "For calling you.

"Don't be." He says gruffly.

"I was going to call Kurt but I didn't want to- I mean, he mentioned he hated hospitals because of his mom, and I didn't want him to feel bad because of me."

"You're ridiculous, you know that?" He says, trying to lighten the mood, and he almost cries out in joy as he finally sees the hospital parking lot. "He'd be there in a second."

She tries to laugh but it comes out as a sob instead, "Noah, just please, get here fast." She says brokenly.

He gets out of his car briskly, running to the emergency doors as fast as his legs can carry him before coming to an abrupt halt as he sees the scene before him. There were bodies everywhere, on gurneys, wheelchairs, and ones in black bags. He lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding as he mutters, "Jesus fucking Christ." It's either a terrorist attack or a shooting because the number of people in this room was staggering. He'd guess close to about thirty people were around him. He's quickly brought back to reality as he hears that tiny voice in his ear, "Noah, I can't-"

He turns his head around and almost falls to the floor, his heart breaking just a little as he sees Rachel sitting in a corner by the waiting room, her knees pulled tightly against her chest, one arm wrapped around herself as her head rests on the arm while the other hand holds the phone to her ear.

"Baby, look up." He says finally. When she lifts her head and sees her gorgeous doe eyes all puffy, red, and filled with tears, he drops to the ground, his phone falling from his hands as he wraps his arms around her. He almost cries tears of his own as he notices how hard she's shaking, but he swallows the lump in his throat and just hugs her tighter.

As soon as she heard his voice, his real voice, it was like a sign went off and told her it was okay to let go now, it was okay to just be a kid and cry hysterically, because as soon as she locked her eyes with his, she fell forward, fisting her hands into his shirt as she let the sorrow course through her like a drug. Her world had been a scary black and white this past hour and it seemed that the only splash of color she needed was being pulled away from her from every direction, and she didn't know what to do. She never felt a pain like this, so pure and raw, so weakening. It made her feel vulnerable. She's always been so strong, but at this moment, she didn't even recognize herself, she needed someone to remind her of what's real, and that's why she called _him. _

"Rach, come on. It'll be all right." He whispers in to her hair, his hands rubbing her back soothingly.

"You don't know that." She says, her voice barely audible against his chest.

"No, I don't, but neither do you." He says, cupping her face with both hands, pulling her away, and bowing his head down to look in her eyes, "You don't know that he's _not_ okay, so just stop with the bullshit, all right? Everything will be all right."

"Noah, can you promise me?" She wipes her tears away, "Can you promise me that he won't die, that he won't leave me?" She says seriously, her voice unwavering.

"No." He sighs, "But I can promise you that I'll be there for you if he does."

Just hearing him say those words causes her to break again, but this time, she doesn't find refuge in his arms, no. She grab his forearm and moves to stand on shaky legs, "I can't be here."

His hands curl around her wrist, tugging lightly, "Rach, it's raining."

She sighs, taking a deep breath as she looks up at him, "I don't know what else to do."

"Let's just wait." He says, his lips tugging gently; a silent reassurance.

"I have been waiting." She cries, "For almost two hours. Nobody's told me anything, I'm in the dark, I have to do something or I'll break, Noah. I don't want that to happen."

"Okay, okay, okay." He says, wrapping his arms around her, "Come on, just let's wait a few minutes."

"Please." She says weakly, trying to pull away.

He leans back against the wall as a few people try to pass by them. All the chairs are taken so he slides down to the floor, letting her fall between his legs as he cradles her against his chest. He starts humming a soft tune, his hands gliding up and down her arms as the other rests on her waist.

_I believe in you and me_

_I'm coming to find you_

_If it takes me all night_

_Wrong until you make it right_

_And I won't forget you_

_At least I'll try_

_And run, and run tonight _

_Everything will be alright_

_Everything will be alright_

_Everything will be alright_

_Everything will be alright_

And as her eyes slowly fall, sending her off to sleep, his head falls back against the wall as he lets out a sigh of relief. He didn't know if he was able to handle this, but he's glad he was able to at least calm her down, and probably stop her from doing something stupid, like run outside and get run over or some shit. It's only then that he realizes that aside from her dad being in surgery, he really has no idea what happened. So, nudging the kid next to him, who seemed to be no older than sixteen, he asks, "Hey, dude. Do you know what happened?"

The kid turns around tensely, but as he notices Rachel's sleeping form, his shoulders relax slightly and he gives a small shrug, "I don't know, we were on the highway, all of us, in a bus coming down from Columbus when all of a sudden this truck comes out of nowhere and the next thing I know, I'm here."

"Shit, that's fucked up." He says, running a hand over his Mohawk.

"Tell me about it." The boy replies, "Name's Jake." He shrugs after a while.

"Puck." He answers.

"Cool name." He smiles, "You want me to get you a bandage for your girl?"

"What?" He asks, looking down and it's only then that he notices the blood stains on her hand and shirt. Upon closer inspection, he realizes it's not hers and lets out another sigh of relief, because that shit? It wasn't kosher right at this moment, "It's okay, s'not her blood."

"Oh, okay." He shrugs, and Puck sees him trying to say something else but he doesn't push it, yet he continues anyway, "She was in real bad shape when we came in." He says, motioning to Rachel, "I mean, I was in the back of the bus so nothing happened, but they needed to get me checked for internal bleeding or whatever. I saw her when they brought in her dad I think. I don't know who he was, I mean he was black so whatever, but dude, she looked like a skeleton, white as sheet. They though she was in the accident too."

"How'd she get all this blood on her?" He asks, looking down to see a few spots on her neck as well.

"The dude went into a coughing fit when they got him off the ambulence. There was blood everywhere. She was standing there, so yeah, that's how I guess." He tells him sympathetically. "But I think this is after she cleaned herself off."

"Fuck." He mutters, looking back down and stroking her cheek comfortingly.

"I wanted to help-" Jake said, rubbing his neck, "I mean, it was painful to just watch her go through that, but- I dunno, me and girls don't really mix well together, you know?"

"No, not really." He chuckles lightly.

"Yeah, well, I tried to go up and talk to her- just to help her out, make her feel better, multiple times actually. It's just- whatever."

"It's okay, man." He says, offering him a smile.

"Anyways, they just called my name. It was good to meet you." Jake tells him as he stands up to leave.

"You too." He says, giving him a nod.

When he's left alone with Rachel again, and by alone, he means hounded by one hundred other people, he lets his eyes rest for a second, trying to make sense of what just happened. He went from waking up with Rachel, to breakfast, and driving her around, and dream sex to this. It was giving him whiplash just thinking about it. He feels something vibrate against his thigh and he almost jumps at the sensation it causes, he quickly reaches down to find Rachel's phone tucked into her skirt pocket. She starts fidgeting in his arms, her eyes fluttering open slowly, "Noah, is it dad? Is he okay?"

"No, go back to sleep baby. He'll be fine. Just- rest." He says, brushing her hair back soothingly as her head falls back against his chest.

"Okay." She breathes.

And it almost breaks his heart that she didn't put up a fight. He looks at the screen to see that it's Kurt calling, he mutters a "Fuck" under his breath, because he really didn't need to deal with him right now. But on second thought, he thinks the sooner Rachel gets out of these clothes the better, and who's more suitable for this job than queen fashion himself. Taking a deep breath, he answers the phone, "Kurt."

"Diva? What's wrong with your voice? It sounds horrible, I hope you haven't come down with another case of laryngitis because well, you know what, you have no solos coming up so that's not a problem, but-"

"Hummel, shut the fuck up and listen to me for one goddamn second." He growls.

Kurt's taken aback for a minute before quickly regaining his composure, "I don't appreciate being spoken to like that, and why are you answering Rachel's phone?"

"Kurt, please." He sighs, "It's serious-"

"Puck, you're scaring me." And that's only because Puck said please that any fear is being aroused in his person.

Puck hears concerned voices in the background, and he stifles a groan at his less than unfortunate timing. "Look, there's been an accident, okay?" He says slowly, "I need you to drop by Rachel's or you know what, just get her any one of your girl shirts and get to the hospital right now."

"Puck, what's wrong with her? Why does she need-"

"She's fine, just get here, and if you can, bring something to clean the blood off her skin." He says, his thumbs trailing over the smudges on her neck.

"Blood?" Kurt squeaks, his voice faltering.

"Don't ask questions, I'll tell you everything when you get here." Puck says finally.

Kurt's phone hangs by his ear long after Puck cut him off, too speechless to do anything about it to say the least, and if possible, momentarily paralyzed by this sudden turn of events. He doesn't register the six pairs of eyes staring back at him, waiting for some kind of explanation. He shakes his head, looking frantically around his room for the stuff Puck told him to bring, muttering under his breath, over and over, "Clothes, blood, off."

Santana blows out a breath, "The fuck is going on here?"

Sam looks lost, while Quinn looks worriedly over at Kurt. She turns to Mercedes and mouths a "What's happening?" Both Britney and Mike seem to be at a loss, their eyes following Kurt's movement around the room.

"Jesus." Santana groans, getting up from her chair, and walking over to Kurt, placing her hands on his shoulders before delivering him a hearty slap to the face, "What clothes? Who's blood? And who got off who?"

"Did Rachel and Puck have sex?" Britney asks.

"What, no!" Kurt yells distractedly, "Move, I need to get over there."

"But, you know, there's blood your first time, and Rachel's a virgin." Quinn shrugs, "It explains the clothes part perfectly. It's a reasonable assumption, Britney."

"Just, be quiet! All of you." Kurt groans dramatically, "It's not that."

"Then mind cluing us in here, lady pants?" Santana says, quirking a brow.

"I don't know what happened." He answers honestly, "All Puck told me was that he needed a fresh pair of clothes for Rachel to wear and something to clean… the -blood off her skin."

"Holy fucking shit." Santana breathes out, "Well get a move on, then."

"I have nothing that fits her." Kurt says panicky, "I mean, I want her to be comfortable but-"

"Calm down, take a deep breath." Santana orders, "Just get her any one of your normal shirts and a pair of sweatpants, you have those right?"

"Yes." He answers, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Then do that. Make sure it's something short so she doesn't trip or something." She says, giving him an encouraging smile before going back to sit on her chair. "What?" She asks, as she sees the shocked faces of everyone in the room.

"That was pretty cool of you, San." Mike says with a soft smile.

"Shut up." She says, studying her hands.

"So what do we do?" Quinn asks, "I mean, do we go or stay?"

"I don't know about you guys, because I may not give a rat's ass about Berry, but Puck seems like he could use the support." She shrugs.

"You know, she's our friend too." Mike says.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" She asks, looking up at him.

Just as Mike is about to retort, Quinn cuts him off, "It's her way of communicating. It's as much emotion as you're going to get out of her, it's a good thing though."

"Quinn, shouldn't you be off praying to Jesus somewhere?" She spits out before quickly standing up and leaving the room.'

After a few minutes, Kurt comes out of his closet with a bag of clothes and some towels, "I'm ready."

"We're coming too." Mike tells him, "But before we go, why did you invite us here in the first place, and shouldn't we tell the others?"

"Oh never mind that, let's just go. Send them a text." Kurt waves him off as he exits his room and trudges down the stairs. "Santana?" He sees her watching the television, her face horror-stricken as her eyes widen in terror, "Is that what happened to her?" She points to the news segment of the bus/truck collision and the scenes at the hospital. "She's on TV." She gasps as she sees Rachel's bloody figure in the background.

* * *

**Author's note: **There you go, some drama to go with all that sweetness from the previous chapter. I know it's intense, but they say write what you know, right? Anyway, I hope you enjoy this, and if you do, please review. It means the world to me and plus, if you pressure me, I'll probably get these chapters out faster.

Oh and before I forget, I made a new twitter for glee related awesomeness, it's relatively new, so you know, check it out. (Neonpaper)

Cheers.


	13. Chapter 13

"_Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity."_

-Henry Van Dyke

Puck had his eye fixed on Rachel's sleeping form ever since he got off the phone with Kurt, her unmoving form betrayed by the way her body would shudder involuntarily every so often, and the way her face would twitch up several times while her eyebrows were frozen in a tight knot throughout out her restless nap. His hands would clasp around her ears whenever one of the waiting room occupants were given news of losing a loved one.

It got to the point where he was contemplating whether or not he should just carry her out of there, but he knew she wouldn't like the idea, but he also didn't want her to wake up, and with nothing to offer her if she did, he was beginning to feel the hot nerves of desperation. The fact that yet another couple of hours had passed with no updates on her father's condition or any sign of Hiram or even his mother was quite unsettling. He found himself willing Rachel to not wake up, because the thought of not being able to answer any of her questions was too awful to even consider.

A woman starts screaming across the hall, a blood-curling scream that he was sure Rachel would hear through his hands, so without hesitation, he stands up and lifts her effortlessly into his hands as he makes his way to the parking lot outside and away from the tragic cries. Thankfully, the rain had stopped and the sun was still floating gracefully above them, he briefly wondered what time it was before walking over to his truck.

He hears a woman call out to him just as he was exiting the doors. She was young, not older than twenty six, his presence catching her off guard, "Puck?"

"Stacey." He answers, recognizing her as one of the on-call scrub nurses from the occasional visits to his mother on those idle days.

"What are you doing here?" She asks, and upon reaching him and noticing the girl in his arms, she asks, "Is that Rachel?"

"Yeah, she got tired-"

"Oh my god, was she in the accident?" She asks, quickly taking her hand to check on her.

"No, no, no. I'm not that stupid." Puck reassures her, "She was just there for her dad, it got too noisy. I thought some fresh air would be, I dunno, better."

"Oh well, that's good. It's been chaos all afternoon." She sighs, tucking her hair behind her ear, "Has Dr. Berry updated you on anything yet?"

"We haven't seen him at all." He tells her, "I mean, she was gonna go crazy there for a second." He motions to Rachel. "She eventually tired herself out, I guess."

"Poor thing." She sighs again, "Anyway, I just got out of surgery with her dad, I'll go check and see if I can get anything for you, okay?"

"Thanks, Stace." He smiles, "That'd be kind of awesome of you."

"Sure thing." She says, patting his arm, "Stay close, keep your phone handy."

"I will." He says, "Thanks again." He adds, and with a wave he sees her goes back inside the building.

Rachel starts stirring as soon as the fresh air hits the side of her face not against his chest, her eyes refusing to open as she clutches the fabric of his shirt tighter in her hands. She felt safe inside his arms and opening her eyes meant having to deal with the pain that was ripping at her insides, but instead, she found herself clinging to unconsciousness with every fiber of her being. But as her mind clears the blurry vision of heartache, she jerks awake, her body moving on her own as her feet desperately search for ground. Her hands flail in the air, not knowing where she was, and ultimately obscuring Puck's view.

Luckily, he was already by the car, "Rach, calm down! It's just me!" He tries not to drop her as she moves frantically, but knowing that her stubbornness wouldn't allow him that, he opens the bed of his truck with his foot as he leans on the car next to his. He puts her down carefully, "Baby, it's okay. Relax."

"Noah?" She asks, her voice thick with the threat of tears and sleep. She stops moving as she sees him nodding, "I'm sorry." She tells him, not meeting his eyes as she runs a hand through her hair, "I was having a bad dream." She says distractedly as she notices the fading blood stains on her hands. She lifts her head, locking her eyes with his with the most forlorn expression on her face, as if telling him _please tell me it was a dream, "_It was real?" She asks, her voice barely above a whisper, scratched by the lump in her throat, and the streams of tears falling down her cheek.

"Rachel, shh, come on." He tries to calm her down as he notices her eyeing her hands and blood stained shirt in horror.

"Is this dad's blood?" She asks, her voice completely not her own. "Oh my god, it is." She croaks, her hands ghosting over the tracks of blood.

"Rach-"

"Get it off." She whispers, "Get it off!" She yells as she starts viciously scratching at her arms in a useless effort to remove the stains from her skin. "Please, make it go away." She rasps.

"Rachel, come on, stop it." He says, grabbing her hands, only to be met with eyes so foreign to him that he moves his hand away without so much as another word.

An overwhelming sense of frustration drowns him, whether it's the not knowing what to do or the fact that she's behaving so out of character while refusing his help, he doesn't know, but what he does know is that Kurt better get his ass down here now before she starts ripping off her clothes in the middle of the street.

Five minutes later, and after Rachel has managed to mangle her arms, making them look as if she had recently purchased an obnoxious and somewhat sinister Persian cat, Kurt's car makes an appearance. Kurt parks the car a few meters away, and both Santana and Quinn get out of the backseat while the rest follow a few seconds later, quickly making their way towards the hospital doors. They stop in their tracks as they hear the familiar but somewhat unrecognizable voice of a certain brunette on their right.

They turn to see Rachel, sitting on the bed of Puck's truck while he tries to pin her hands to her side, screaming, "Rachel, calm the fuck down! You're acting crazy."

"What the hell is going on here?" Santana asks, crossing the street instantly. "Get your hands off her."

Puck turns to look at her briefly, "Back off." He tells her before turning back to Rachel, "Baby, please."

"What's happening?" Brittany asks, tugging at Santana's sleeve.

"I think she's having a panic attack or something." Mike suggests, "Shouldn't we do something?"

"Puckerman, what the hell did you do?" Santana asks again.

"Get it off!" Rachel screams, "I can't-" She stops abruptly, her hands tugging at the hem of her shirt before completely lifting it off and throwing it to the ground. She takes a few deep breathes, a few sobs escaping as she does, before looking up to see eight pairs of eyes looking back at her. It momentarily dawns on her that she's in nothing but her bra from the waist up but the relief in having that shirt off her outweighs every single one of her insecurities.

"Rachel, are you okay?" Kurt asks.

"Y-yes, I'm fine, it's better now." She sighs, shuddering as she looks down at her discarded shirt.

"You should put something on, it's cold out, you'll freeze." Quinn says calmly.

"I-I don't care, I'm not putting that thing back on." She says, lifting her knees in an effort to cover herself.

"It's okay, I brought some clothes for you." Kurt says, lifting the bag to show her.

"Don't you wanna get cleaned up first, like in the bathroom or something?" Sam says unsurely.

"It's too crowded in there." Puck says, his eyes locked on Rachel, "Did you get the stuff I told you?" He asks Kurt.

"Yeah." He answers, "But um, shouldn't we, I mean Rachel, wouldn't you prefer changing back at your house or-"

"She's not going anywhere." Puck cuts him off, "Just get it done." He feels her hand wrap around his and squeeze lightly and it's when that happens that his heart stops pounding and his shoulders relax just a little as the relief that she's not suffering some panic attack washes over him. He's also grateful for her subtlety, not that his friends weren't wondering why he was the one with her, but for all intents and purposes, he likes that she didn't make it into a show.

Santana watches this little exchange with a somewhat pensive look on her face. Shaking her head, and grabbing Puck's hand, "Come on then, I bet Berry here doesn't want you staring at her boobs, let the girls take care of her." She says, giving Rachel a wink as she sees the girl blush before dragging Puck away from the crowd.

"What's your deal?" Puck asks, and if it were anyone else, you'd say he was almost whining.

"Nuh-uh, question is, what's _your_ deal with Berry over there?" She asks, crossing her arms against her chest.

"Nothing."

"Bullshit." She scoffs, "Why are you the one with her and not lady-pants or any of those other gleeks?"

"Because, I don't know, we're friends and shit. Whatever." He says, shrugging it off.

"Yeah, right." She says, kicking him in the shin, "Tell me and I'll make it worth your while." She says suggestively.

"Ow!" He says, rubbing his leg, "Why the fuck-"

"I knew it. You like her." She says, rolling her eyes, "When did this happen anyway, did she like seduce you with her grandma clothes? You're into older women I hear."

"Shut it, San." He glares.

"Did she give you a little something something?" She wiggles her eyebrows, "She's got a big mouth, I bet she did."

"Geez, why are you doing this? Just shut up about it." He says seriously,

"Because I don't like being lied to." She tells him, "How'd this whole mess happen anyway?"

"I don't know, I was at home, and then she called me crying and whatever." He shrugs, "I didn't ask questions."

"So you weren't with her when she found out?" She asks sympathetically.

"Ummm, no." He drawls out, tilting his head thoughtfully. "Leave it to Berry to cock block her own Puckerone action." He mutters in what he thought was an inaudible voice.

"Wait, you and Berry had sex?" She gasps, "That's gross."

"Well, not technically." He smirks, his mind wallowing in the distant memory, "Theoretically?"

"Jesus! Are you telling me you had a sex dream about toddler tights over there?" She asks, pointing with her thumb behind her. "Why the hell are you telling me that?"

"An awesome sex dream, babe." He says, licking his lips as his eyes drift off to the brunette in question.

"That's disgusting." She says, her face contorted in a look of distaste.

"Why?" He asks, almost offended, "She's hot."

"And you're a pedophile!" Santana says, looking back to stare at Rachel, "She wears knee socks, Puck, knee fucking socks. Not to mention, she looks no older than twelve. I mean, Kurt's not that big and he wears tight clothes and yet look at his shorts, they're practically eating her up."

"I'd like to eat her up." He says, leering at Rachel in the background.

"That is an assault on my imagination." She says, lifting her hands in front of her.

"You wouldn't say that if you saw what was underneath, she's a fucking goddess." He says, his eyes still on Rachel.

"Why are you saying it when you haven't?" She asks in frustration.

"Dude, I was fucking her." He says matter of factly, "_Duh."_

"In your head, you pervert." She says, knocking her hand on his head.

"Whatever." He says, "Can I go now?"

"Wait, one more question." She says, blocking his way.

"I'm listening." He sighs.

She tilts her head, eyeing him curiously, "How long have you been having these Berry sex dreams?"

"What kind of question is that?" He asks, confused.

"Well, they must have been going on for a while for you to have said no to some action." She laughs, "She's got you pussy whipped, from a fucking dream!"

"What, I didn't-"

"Yeah, sure." She laughs again, patting his chest, "Just hope that the real thing is as good as the dream." She winks as she turns around and walks back to the truck.

He shakes his head, fully intent on ignoring what she had just said as he watches her walk away with, if possible, a slight spring in her step.

When he goes back to the truck, he sees Rachel sitting Indian style in the corner of the bed while Kurt sits next to her, with Quinn and Sam sitting on the edge and Mercedes and Mike sitting on the ledge beside Rachel. Brittany was sitting across from Rachel, mirroring her position as she held both her hands, resting them on her knees, "Close your eyes." She ordered her.

"Brittany, what am I doing?" Rachel asks, looking at their jointed hands with confusion.

Kurt nudges her side, "Just go with it. It'll make her feel better." He shrugs.

Rachel gives him a look of understanding before quickly doing what she's told, "Okay, they're closed."

"Take a deep breath." She says, "You're in a meadow, can you see it?"

"Um, y-yes." She stutters, "It's pretty?" The group looks at the two girls with amused smiles on their faces, all quite happy for Brittany's antics to lighten the mood.

"It's wonderful." She corrects her, "Take a walk around, what do you see?"

"I don't- Brittany, I can't see anything."

"Try harder." She says, squeezing her hand.

"Grass? Some flowers, a butterfly?" Rachel answers, brow up and head tilted to the side.

"There's a unicorn, find it." She tells her.

"Okay, I see the unicorn, now what?" She plays along unenthusiastically.

"That's it." Brittany claps happily, "That was fast Rachel! It's hard for some people to see the unicorn because they think it doesn't exist, but you did. Yay!"

Mike places a hand on Rachel's shoulder, "You did good." He chuckles.

"Thanks." She mumbles, running a hand through her hair as she lifts a hand to check the time. She takes a deep breath, realizing that maybe this won't be over anytime soon, and if she is to maintain her sanity, she should at least know that there is some hope left. She looks around, her eyes searching for Puck, "Where's Noah?" She asks.

"Right here." He says, coming up behind Santana. "What's up?"

"Is there any news from daddy yet? It's been five hours." She says sadly.

Fortunately, his phone rings, and he's sure he's never been more grateful for that contraption- considering how he was so rudely interrupted by it that afternoon. He looks up at her, giving her an apologetic smile before he answers the phone, "Hello." He answers, turning away from her.

"Noah? Thank god, how is she?" Hiram Berry asks from the other side of the phone, "Stacey just told me, I feel terrible but it's been so hectic, I couldn't get to her."

"I'll put her on for you-"

"No, no, no, don't." He pleads, "I-I can't, I have to focus right now, and I can't go in that emergency room- Her voice will only make me feel worse about me not being there for her, I have to focus."

"I get it, it's fine. She's okay, I mean- as okay as she can be." He says, looking back to see Rachel watching him.

"Look, I have another surgery, Noah." He sighs, "But please, keep an eye on her. Take her away from here, it'll be awhile until everything clears up and I really don't want her to be in this kind of atmosphere."

"She's not going to listen to me." He tells him, "Not unless you give me something to tell her, and please, I need it to be something good." He says desperately.

"They're finishing him up, that's all I know." He says, "No complications so far, but he'll be in the ICU after so she won't be able to see him till later this evening."

"That's good, right?"

"Considering the circumstances, it's great." Hiram answers, "But please, just get her out of here, get her to eat something, get her mind off things."

"I'll try my best." He smiles, "Good luck."

"Thanks, I have to get going, Noah." Hiram says with a sigh, "I owe you one."

"I'll keep that in mind." He laughs lightly, "And don't worry, she's in good hands."

"Thanks son, bye now." He says before hanging up reluctantly.

Puck puts his phone back in his pocket, taking a deep breath before turning to see everyone talking about something or other in an effort to make Rachel smile or feel better, but he noticed how their eyes trailed to him expectantly, Rachel more so because she wasn't even trying to hide it. Her eyes asked the question her voice couldn't.

"He's good." He tells her, his smile slowly slicing his face open as he sees some light come back in her eyes, "They're finishing him up, you should-" He gets cut off by her flinging herself on him, standing up swiftly and jumping off the truck and into his arms.

He can't help the loud laugh that rumbles in his chest or how his arms hold her closer to him as he feels the wetness on his neck. She gives him a subtle peck on the junction between his neck and shoulder, just where her head was buried before pulling away to look at him, "Can we see him?" She asks hopefully, her feet finding the ground as she makes a move to walk toward the hospital doors.

"No no no." He says, his hand wrapping around her wrist, tugging her back.

"But you said-"

"I said they were finishing him up, Rach." He says, his tone pleading as he sees those sad eyes again, his heart dropping to the floor, "Don't worry, he's fine, they're just-"

"Doctors do shit like this, Berry. The damage is fixed, all they have to do is clean him up and close the incisions. Kindergarden stuff. Relax." Santana says, coming to Puck's rescue.

Everyone looks at her like she just sprouted wings and sprayed fairy powder in the air. She rolls her eyes at them, "What? My dad's a doctor too, I know this stuff." She shrugs, "Like you should too." She says to Rachel, "Stop worrying already."

"I'm sorry, it's just- I know I'm being horrible but- it's a lot to process." She sighs, looking up at Santana almost shyly. "Thanks."

"Tone down the water works, Berry." She says, motioning to Rachel's face.

"I'll try." She laughs, "So what now?" She asks, directing her question to Puck, her eyes straying to Santana too.

"How about we hit the diner?" He says, wrapping an arm around her shoulder in a side hug, "I'm so hungry, I could eat an entire house."

"How on earth is that in any way an analogy for hunger, I mean seriously-" Kurt starts.

"Shut it, lady-pants." Santana says, shoving Kurt sideways as she drags Rachel hands, walking over to Puck's passenger door, and smirking at the frown on Puck's face as she takes Rachel away from him.

"I'd be down for a burger." Mike says dreamily.

"Ohhh, milkshakes!" Mercedes says excitedly.

"Are you guys aware what dairy does to your vocal chords? With sectionals just around the corner-"

"And she's back…"

"Oh my god, shut up." Santana quips, "I motion for lady-pants and toddler tights be force fed five gallons of milk for killing our buzz."

"But they're right, the calories-" Sam interjects.

"Frog lips, too." She says, motioning to Sam.

They all laugh as they see Sam rubbing his belly with a pout, while Rachel and Kurt have their arms crossed, both with matching scowls.

"Get in." Santana says, all but shoving Rachel into the car, "I'm riding with these two." She says to Kurt, before going in after Rachel.

"We'll meet you there, then." Kurt says with an amused smile, walking back to his car, followed by the rest of the gang.

"Santana." Puck says, his voice not masking the warning tone etched to it.

"What? I come in peace, I swear." She says, buckling her seat belt, "Honest." She adds, with a smile for good measure, "So, Rachel?"

"Yes." She drawls out uncertainly.

"I swear to god-" Puck tells her.

"Dude, chill out. You sound like an over protective lioness, Berry is not your cub or whatever, shoo!" She says, motioning for Rachel to ignore him, "Besides, I don't know how I never realized this but we totally have shit in common!"

"Yeah, right" Puck scoffs, "Rachel's not some easy-"

"Noah, don't you even think about finishing that sentence, it's highly offensive and frankly, demeaning to more than just Santana." She says, punching his shoulder, "Continue." She gestures to Santana to speak.

"As I was saying before the douche so rudely interrupted-"

"Santana, you're doing the same thing he did." Rachel scolds.

"What? He is a douche. It's a fact."

"And it's a fact that she's a-"

"NOAH!" She warns, "Be quiet, the both of you. Why do I feel like I'm talking to children?"

"Because you're a granny pants." Santana answers seriously.

"I thought I looked twelve?" She challenges, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Yeah, how do you do that?" Santana asks thoughtfully.

Rachel takes a deep breath as she rolls her eyes when she feels Puck burst into laughter beside her, "Nice." He chuckles.

"Anyways, as I was saying, all our parents work in that hospital!" She says, "Doesn't it make us like, bound by some greater power or something. We have a common interest, well not interest, but parents."

"We're all humans, we live in a small town, eventually we'll all find common ground somewhere, Santana, that doesn't necessarily mean anything."

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why toddler tights will now be referred to as buzz kill." She says, narrowing her eyes at Rachel, "Congratulations." She says mockingly, sticking out her tongue.

"Yeah, Rach." Puck laughs, "Santana's being civil to you, embrace it! Don't make her go back to her evil ways."

"Whatever," Santana says, "Rachel, have you ever kissed a girl?" She asks nonchalantly, unable to suppress the smirk that follows as she sees Puck's eyes bulge out.

"While I'm completely comfortable with my sexuality and considering my upbringing, I have no plight with homosexuality, I have to say that no, I haven't." She answers, tilting her head thoughtfully, "Come to think of it, I've only ever kissed three people and that's Finn, Noah, and Jesse. In that order."

To say he was surprised that she even thought about answered it was an epic understatement, if anything, he thought she'd berate Santana for the rest of the drive over to the diner. But after hearing the next part, with the passion and anger of his ego, he asks, "Finn was your first kiss?"

"Well, yes." She answers hesitantly, "It was-"

"But you were my girlfriend first." He says as they finally arrive at the diner, placing the car in park, turning the ignition off, and turning to look at her.

"Um yeah, that's complicated." She says self-consciously, her eyes downcast, not daring to look at him.

"What does that mean, Berry?" Santana says, "Tell us." She grins, far too amused by Rachel's discomfort and Puck's obvious jealousy.

"Noah, can we not talk about this? It's irrelevant." She pleads, "Really, it didn't even mean anything at time."

"I think you're digging yourself in a deeper whole there, toddler tights." Santana chuckles.

"Santana, why don't you just go inside with the others." Puck suggests.

"How about, no?" She says, "This is too good, and plus, we're bound together now, forever." She says dramatically, "Speaking of, we need a name, and perhaps maybe a theme song. Got any ideas, buzz kill?" She asks Rachel.

Providentially, to Puck's dismay, Kurt knocks at Santana's window and they're forced to acknowledge him as he motions for them to get out of the car. Rachel relishes in the lucky escape and quickly nudges Santana to get out of the car before Puck corners her in it, not that she felt guilty or anything, she didn't. It was just, a somewhat veiled attempt at protecting herself from the embarrassment of revealing the truth about that unfortunate incident so long ago.

The diner was fairly empty, given the circumstances, and due to the fact that this was usually where the hospital staff usually hung out, and seeing as their hands were full at the moment, it was a light crowd. They pushed one of the tables next to a booth, with the permission from one of the waiters to do so of course. Puck spots Rachel standing next to Kurt, walking over quickly, he surreptitiously grabs her hand as he slides into the booth, forcing her to sit next to him. He looks around, yet again grateful that no one had noticed, but just before he can take that relaxed breath, he sees Kurt grinning over him like a Cheshire cat. He ignores him before looking down at Rachel with a smirk on his face as he feels her tense up without saying anything.

"I want a burger." Santana pipes up.

"I want three." Mike adds.

"I'll have a salad." Sam says, looking over the menu.

"I don't even-" Quinn sighs, shaking her head at her boyfriend's obsession with weight.

"Seriously, dude?" Puck asks, "Girl food?"

"That's-" Rachel starts.

"If you say offensive or start lecturing me about woman right's crap, I'm going to scream." Puck tells her as he stretches an arm behind her.

"I wasn't going to." She defends weakly, "You know what, I'm just going to stop talking to you." She says, turning to Kurt.

The group starts talking again, about everything and nothing, Santana's eyes drifting back to the two every so often, while Kurt keeps one eye on them the entire time.

Puck waits until the conversation rolls across the table before letting his hand sneak around his waist, "So, that kiss?" He leans forward as if to grab a napkin, lingering by her ear for just a little while longer.

"Not now." She tells him, her hand falling over his as it rests on her hip.

"Baby, come on…." He breathes against her ear, making sure no one is watching him or her.

He feels her relax under his arm, but she makes no move to answer his question. She waits until Mike has the table's complete and utter attention in an impressive impersonation of Mr. Schuester and Miss. Pillsbury before turning to look at him, an inquisitive look on her face, "Why are you calling me that?" She whispers.

"What do you mean?" He asks, confused.

"You keep calling me baby." She tells him, genuinely curious as to why he would do such a thing.

"So?" He drawls out.

"Never mind." She waves him off, thinking it was a silly question to ask in the first place. She decides that the transition from babe to baby and Berry to Rach/Rachel was due to their growing friendship and nothing else, it made perfect sense, right? Right.

"Rach-"

"Fine, but not here." She hisses, "Later." She tells him pointedly.

"Promise?" He asks, smiling sheepishly as he holds out his pinky, "Pinky it, baby, then I'll believe it."

She can't help the smile on her face as she lifts her pinky and intertwines it with his, "There, happy?"

"Nope." He says, wiggling his eyebrows, his hand moving from her hip to dip under her shirt, loving the blush that starts at her neck and slowly reaches her cheeks.

"Noah, what are you doing?" She says, grabbing his hand to stop him, "Stop it."

"Stop what?" He asks, his hand ghosting over the drawstrings of Kurt's borrowed sweatpants, "This?" He says, tugging gently, grinning widely as he reaps the benefits of the teasing and what it's doing to her color.

"Why don't you two get a room?" Santana asks, her arms crossed as she leans back on her chair, obviously having been watching them for a while.

"Oh dear." Kurt gasps, looking down at where Puck's hands were inappropriately placed, "Yes, I think she's right. This is not the time or place." He says, making a motion to cover them jokingly.

"Sounds awesome, but we need to get some food in this one." He motions to Rachel, "She's gonna need her energy." He says with a smirk that quickly transforms into a laugh as he sees Rachel gaping at him before high-fiving Santana.

"NOAH!" She yells, "You're disgusting." She says, punching him in the shoulder, "And you," She looks to Santana, "Stop encouraging him."

"I didn't say anything, don't get your panties in a bunch." She says, coming down from her laugh.

"Yeah, we'll work on that later." He laughs again, affording him a menacing glare from the brunette next to him, "Relax, Rach! I'm just playing you."

"Yeah, well, it's not fun." She pouts, "And I thought you were my friend." She asks, turning to Kurt.

"I am darling, but I can't pass a good joke." He says, placing his hand on her forearm comfortingly, "And you're such an easy target."

"Berry, you're going to have a burger!" Santana declares, "It'll loosen you up."

"I'll loosen her up-"

"I swear to god, Puckerman, if you finish that sentence, I will kill you." She says, both her hands reaching to cover his mouth. "And anyways, I'm a vegetarian. I don't eat animals."

"They have veggie burgers, darling." Kurt says, patting her shoulder, "Now let go of Puck before he starts making out with your hand."

"Noah!" She yells, "You licked me!" She swats his chest painfully before wiping her hand on his shirt. "Gross."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." He chuckles, "You fucking loved every inch of my tongue, babe." He whispers in her ear seductively.

"Noah." She groans.

"I love it when you say my name like that, baby." He says, watching as both Santana and Kurt are lost in an unhealthy fit of laughter while the rest of the group is oblivious, completely enthralled by Sam's reenactment of the "Luke, I am your father" Star Wars scene.

Just then, Puck gets a text from Hiram, he picks his phone, angling it so Rachel doesn't see before opening it up, _How is she?_

He replies quickly with a, _She's distracted._

He waits a few seconds before getting another reply from Hiram, _Keep her that way._

He gets an overwhelming feel of dread before sending another text, _Is everything okay?_

_No and yes. Just keep her distracted for as long as possible, I don't want her to worry more than she needs to. Lie if you have to._

He doesn't like how that last one sounded, but he swallows whatever he was feeling, and sends a quick, _Okay._

He's thankful that Rachel is slightly turned away from him, because he's pretty sure the look on his face isn't what she needs right now. He sees Santana watching him with a look of concern on her face, asking the question with her eyes.

He shakes his head and shrugs, Santana's mouth parting slightly, both in shock and sympathy as her eyes turn to look at Rachel. He picks out his best show face, the one he perfected over the years, and let's out a laugh as Mercedes tells a funny story about Sue's overheard diabolical glee destruction plans. Rachel 's head falls back on his shoulder as she laughs, and he locks eyes with her for a second before going back to talking with the rest of the guys. He's calm, he is collected. Everything will be all right, he tells himself.

* * *

**Author's note: **These notes look better down here, less crampy, right? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'd say it was fast update but I wouldn't know, I tried my best to get it up as fast as I could and so here it is. Hope it lived up to your expectations :)

And as always, I apologize for any grammatical or spelling mistakes. I only went through it twice with the editing, so I'm pretty sure there's a few mistakes up there.

Oh, and if you're just tuning in, I hope you're having fun so far. It's a little hectic now, but I promise, hope is in the air.

Review, please, it'll save fairies! Again, that's a lie, but it's for a good cause, I swear.

Cheers!


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own glee. If I did, you would be watching television right now rather than getting your dose of Puckelberry from here. Look alive, and enjoy.

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Once in a while, behind every passing moment, in a stressful hour, and however fleeting, one can find solace in the simplest of things. A twist in fate, the slip in faith. They can be mended by clearing the mind, forgetting the sorrow; a short-lived ignorance. But then again, it's just a moment, it passes, and then you forget how to breathe again. The pain hits you like a freight train, not unlike a nightmare, but while you realize that in fact the dragon, or that serial killer from that movie you watched that night wasn't really attacking you, the difference now is that it's real.

The group separates shortly after their meals have been paid for, wishing Rachel luck, with promises of seeing each other exchanged between them, leaving only Kurt, Santana and Puck to accompany her. Rachel excuses herself to the restroom, finding the crowd slightly overwhelming at the moment, but of course, being who she is, she just gave them a smile and told them a lie about bladder control.

As soon as she's out of sight, Santana crosses her arms, sitting back in her chair and fixing her eyes on Puck, "Hey, sticky hands. Not that it's not funny, but mind toning down your Puck-ness just a little bit?"

"Yeah." Kurt says, nodding in agreement, "Diva looks like she's about to break. Stop with the hands." He adds, wiggling his fingers.

"What? She's Jewish," He looks at them challengingly, "I'm _allowed."_

"Really?" Kurt asks, quirking his brow, "That's what you're gonna go for?"

"Yeah, it's written in the book or whatever." He says, shifting in his seat uncomfortably.

"Oh my god." Santana scoffs, rolling her eyes, "Remember how I called you a pedophile? Yeah, well, she's a _child_. She's not used to this shit."

"Whatever." He laughs, "She's been-

"No, not whatever. I'm _seriou_s." She says, placing her hands firmly on the table, and leaning across to invade his personal space, "I've been with Finn, that boy has no moves. I'll be damned if they even got to second base."

"If I may," Kurt interjects, "They did actually. I heard Finn talking to his sandwich about it. He was asking it if he could touch- you know what, I can't even say it….it was weird." He adds, shaking his head.

"His sandwich?" Santana asks disbelievingly, titling her head to look at Kurt, "You've got to be kidding me."

"I once caught him talking to his grilled cheese." Puck says, nodding at Santana. "It's true."

"I rest my case." Santana says, raising her hands in front of her, "He gets boob advice from a sandwich! So I think we can safely assume that her prude status is still intact."

"But-"

"But nothing." Santana tells him, "Just stop it."

"Whatever." He says, furrowing his brow and if he were a lesser man, you would even say he pouted.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better." Santana says, kicking him under the table, "But I swear to god-"

"Jesus fuck, I get it." He hisses, rubbing his leg, "What's with girls and hitting?"

"You're a stubborn ass, I needed to get my point across somehow." She shrugs, "Violence is the answer, isn't it?"

"It's actually violence is not the answer, but to each his own." Kurt says, his chin resting on his hand as he looks around the diner, "What's taking Rachel so long?"

"I'll go check on her-" Puck says, standing up.

"No!" Santana says, standing up to grab his arm, "I'll go. With your lover's streak, you'd probably take her in one of the bathroom stalls."

Kurt nods, "That's not very classy, Puck. I expect more from you."

"What the hell?" He says, tugging his arm back, "I didn't even do anything. You both are fucking crazy."

"Be that as it may, you're not even allowed in the bathroom." Kurt says, "And those are labeled according to gender, not religion. So don't you dare use that excuse of yours again."

"I hate the both of you, did you know that?" He spits out, sitting back down and crossing his arms against his chest.

"Yes, I'm well aware." Kurt says, closing his eyes, "I've bathed in garbage long enough to have that little piece of information eternally etched into my mind, thank you."

"I'm too hot to hate." Santana scoffs," You're just being a baby."

"No, I'm not." He says, narrowing his eyes at her.

"My point exactly, babe." She laughs, jumping over Kurt, and making her way towards the restrooms. She passes by a few children quarreling playfully, pushes past the waiters beside the kitchens, and finally reaching the rest room doors, she opens it.

This day has been somewhat of an out of body experience for Santana. First, she was ushered to the Hummel house on some bizarre business. Then afterwards, she found out that the girl she loved to pick on was suffering from the repercussions of a freak accident, and saw that same girl have a panic attack right before her eyes. Not to mention, a need to be there for the girl overcame her otherwise snide attitude towards her. She couldn't decide whether it was out of pity or out of guilt, but then again, it really didn't matter at this point. But what she was seeing now, she couldn't say she knew how to react to it. Her hands stilled on the door knob as she saw Rachel leaning over one of the sinks, her hands gripping either side of it, her shoulders shaking, and her hair falling over one side of her face, her head bowed and away from the mirror.

Santana didn't want to scare her, or cause an awkward confrontation between the two of them, so instead, she closed the door silently, and took a step back. She closed her eyes, inhaled a generous amount of air, before shuffling her feet and making a ruckus loud enough to alert Rachel on the other side that someone was coming in.

She pushes the door open just in time to see Rachel jerk away from her position, her hands quickly coming up to her face to wipe away the stray tears that could be seen staining her face in the reflection, "Oh, hey Santana. I was just finishing up." She says, smiling politely.

Santana regarded her next words carefully, she didn't want to do this, but it was only right. "No, you weren't." She laughs, walking towards her, "It sucks, doesn't it?" She says, making a motion with her hands in a gesture to her situation.

"Pretty much." Rachel smiles bitterly.

"So, you okay?" She asks, leaning against the wall across from her.

"As well as I can be." She shrugs, wrapping her hands around herself, and making a move to walk out, "We should go back."

"Yeah, I guess." Santana agrees.

Rachel walks over to the door, her hands hesitating on the knob. She takes a deep breath, and turns around, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"I understand why Noah's here, I asked him-" She shakes her head, deciding to just go with it "Why are _you_ here? I mean, it's nice of you and all, but why?"

"You just went through shit, Berry." She answers as if it's the most obvious thing in the world, "We're your friends or whatever."

"No, you're not." She says truthfully, "Kurt is the only person I've ever gotten remotely close to and even then, it was for his own gain. I mean, he's been wonderful lately but, I don't know, I guess I'm just surprised is all. Especially you to be honest, I mean, you're kind of-"

"A bitch." She cuts her off with a laugh, "We're not complete jerks, I mean, you just went through something huge."

"Your choice of words is a bit colorful for my taste, but yeah." Rachel smiles, her eyes glistening with those recovering tears. "It's all just surreal, I guess."

"Look, we're not all the best of friends, I know that, but we're- fuck, this is gonna sound gay, but we're a team or whatever."

She laughs at that, "That is gay, and that's coming from me."

"Told you." She laughs, "Are you good?"

"I think I'll survive-." She answers, looking at her watch, "Has daddy called Noah yet?"

"Not yet."

She sighs, bowing her head down, while her hands stroke her arm softly as she hesitates on the next question, "Am I a bad person for not staying at the hospital?" She asks, shoving her hands in the pocket of Kurt's sweat pants.

The question caught Santana completely off guard, but her face softened and she asked, "Why would you say that?"

"Because," She starts, "He's my dad, I should be there- waiting. I know I'm being immature and selfish for letting Noah take me out of there. He's hurt, I mean he could die for all I know, and all I care about is me, how I feel, how I can't take it and-" She inhales a deep breath, "I just don't want to go back there."

"It's okay-" She tells her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"But it isn't." She cuts her off, "I know daddy doesn't want me there, he can't even call me, he's using Noah to communicate with me, but I should _want_ to be there, you know?"

"Yeah, I guess." She says, "But it's hard for all of you."

"I just, I think that, in a way, not being there keeps the bad away. Like if I'm there and I get the news I won't be able to change it, but if I stay here, in the dark, I can hope for the good without worrying about not being able to change any bad news. I can stay strong for him."

"Rachel, it's fine." Santana tells her, grabbing both her shoulders, and forcing her to look up, "You're not doing anything wrong, it's okay to be scared. This is affecting you more than him right now, he's probably drugged up on anesthesia and getting his Brittany on." She adds with a smile, trying to make her react in any way besides drowning those does eyes of hers with a fresh batch of tears, "You're allowed to feel selfish."

Rachel regards Santana carefully, looking up at her with a mixture of awe and shock, "Why are you being so nice?" She asks.

"Hell if I know." She laughs, letting go of her shoulders and taking a few steps to the door, "But how about we get out of here before I decide to be a bitch again?"

"O-okay." She says, laughing softly, "But can I ask you one more thing?"

"It's not like I have a choice." She says, crossing her arms, but as she sees the girl hesitate, she smiles reassuringly, "Go ahead."

"Well," She starts, her hands fiddling with the hem of her shirt. "It's kind of stupid…"

"Spit it out, will you?" Santana says impatiently, but with a soft smile tugging at her lips.

"You know yesterday, with Finn?" She asks slowly, "Why did you do it? I mean, why then, and not before? You had a whole year."

Taking a deep breath, Santana looks at her, "Listen up, cause I'm only going to say this once. Finn. Is. A. Douche. Bag." She enunciates carefully, "Scratch that, it's fun to say. But seriously, he was annoying me and I thought I'd make life harder for him." She shrugs.

"So this wasn't about me?" She asks, slightly confused but somewhat happy.

"Not necessarily, you were just a bonus." She winks, and when she sees Rachel small smile falter, her face softens, "Look, I admitted I was a bitch, and you never seem to get affected by anything I say, so I didn't think it'd be a big deal or whatever."

"Seriously." She laughs, "No ones that dense. I mean, come on, you _slept_ with my _boyfriend;_ the boy I love. How could you not think I'd react to that."

"Well, I don't know, I wasn't really thinking about you."

Rachel scoffs and looks away. She lets out a breath, "You know what? This is stupid. My dad's in the hospital and here I am- just forget it."

"Would it help if I said I was sorry?" Santana shrugs, trying to catch her eye.

"Not really." Rachel shakes her head, her eyes on the floor,

"How about if I told you he felt terrible after?" Santana says, leaning her head down to get a good look at her.

"What- he did?" She looks up suddenly, surprise coloring her features.

"Yeah and I mean, if I had any feelings, they would've hurt but whatever." She shrugs.

"Santana.." Rachel reaches for her, but she shrugs away.

"No, it's good. Are we okay though?" She asks, "Have I redeemed myself or whatever?"

"Yeah," Her shoulders relax and she gives her a soft smile, "You're a good person, you know?"

"No, I'm not. I'm a horrible and inconsiderate bitch." She threatens, "And if you say anything to anyone, so help me god- I will sleep with Puck too."

"Noah and I aren't-"

"_Noah and I aren't _my ass_!_" She cuts her off, "That boy has goo goo eyes for you, and I know for a fact that he wants in those toddler tights of yours." She says, looking her up and down, "Pedophile." She mutters as she walks out of the rest room.

"Hey!" She protests, quickly following her out, "That was-"

"It was the truth Berry, and I don't care how _inappropriate _it was." She says, lifting her hands in a quoting gesture.

"Why doesn't anyone let me speak?" She says, her voice laced with frustration, "Stop cutting me off."

"What? You talk too much, I'm allowed." She shrugs.

"Should I even try to argue this or are you just going to-"

"Shut you up? Yeah, pretty much." She laughs, bumping her shoulder as they walk out, joining the boys back at the table.

"What took you so long?" Puck asks, his eyes fixed on Rachel, the worried look he was giving her betraying the casual tone in his voice.

"Noah, asking a girl about her business is not very polite." Rachel says, a smile in her voice as she pretends not to notice the look of relief on his face.

"Darling, he's had his eye in your direction ever since you left, be glad he didn't barge in instead of a question." Kurt says, the hand covering his face coming down to reveal an annoyed expression, "I never knew he was capable of so many words, I mean- wow."

"Hey!" Puck says roughly, shifting his feet awkwardly as he sees the look of triumph on both Kurt and Santana's face, "Whatever."

"Well, this has been fun, but I gotta jet." Santana says, sensing Rachel's obvious discomfort, that show face of hers not fooling anyone for a second.

"Me too, you probably would like some time alone." He says truthfully, and as he notices the warning looks from both Santana and Puck, he continues, "What? I've been here before, hell, I'm surprised she lasted this long. I would have cracked."

"_Kurt!"_

"No, it's fine, Noah." Rachel shrugs, "Just goes to show you that I'm a better actress." She jokes, a smile tugging at her lips as she gives Kurt a playful wink.

"That's low." Kurt says, narrowing his eyes, "But I'll let it slide. Just this once."

"The truth hurts, Kurt." She tells him, her face taking on a more serious expression, though not hiding the fact that she was trying to suppress a grin.

"That's why I stick to lies and deceit." Santana muses.

"Oh, how marvelous." Kurt laughs, "Anyways, I have a Project Runway Marathon with my name on it. See you later, I guess." He says, hugging Rachel.

"You're staying at home?" Santana asks, "It's a Saturday night, man."

"Project Runway is an out of this world experience, sweetie. I'm not staying at home, I'm going to travel the galaxy." He says, grabbing his bag and throwing it over his shoulder.

"And you call me dramatic?" Rachel says, her arms quickly wrapping around herself.

"You're exactly the same, babe." Puck chuckles, pulling her close with an arm around her shoulder, "But like, a girl. A _real _one though."

"Haha, very funny." Kurt mocks, "I'll be leaving now. Call me if you hear anything. I expect minutely updates."

"Later bitches." Santana yells, already halfway to the door, "Come on, lady-pants. You're driving me to my car."

"Must you insist on those awful nicknames, I have a name you know?" Kurt says, following her out.

"That would mean that I 'd have to acknowledge you as a human being with feelings, and how am I supposed to mock you after that?" They hear Santana say before they're out of the diner.

"So, wanna head back?" Puck asks, his hand slipping down her arm to grab her hand.

She looks down at their hands before looking back up, "I guess." She shrugs. "You don't have to you know."

"You really think I'd be here if I didn't want to?" He asks, laughing a little as he guides her out and towards his truck. As soon as they get in and buckle themselves up, he turns to her and asks, "Hey, seriously, you okay? I mean, with everyone and all."

"Yeah. It was, " She says, tilting her head as if searching for the right word, "Nice." She settles.

He laughs, "Yeah, sure."

Puck pulls out of the parking lot, driving towards the hospital. Neither of them saying a word, both in a comfortable silence, well, considering the circumstances, it was not that comfortable. He's about to make the turn into the hospital when he feels her hands on his arm, "Can we just drive around for a while? I don't want to-"

"Yeah, no sweat." He says, not missing a beat, "Where to?"

"Nowhere, anywhere." She say, her eyes fixated on the hospital as it passes by, "Just not here."

"He'll be okay, you know?" He says after a while.

"And he might not." She answers, her head resting on the window as she looks at him, "Either way, it'll all be over soon. Has daddy said anything yet?"

"No, sorry." He says, his face apologetic.

Her attention drifts back to the blurry shapes outside the window, both not knowing what to say or just preferring the silence. Whichever. They're past any sign of shops and people and are just cruising around a quieter part of town.

Turning to look at her, he's not sure he should be asking this next question, but he figures it's now or never, because to be honest, he doesn't know how long this friendship is going to last, or if he'll ever get another chance to be alone with her, "Can I ask you something?" He hesitates, "About your mom.."

She turns to look at him as soon as she hears his voice, completely surprised by his question, "What about her?"

"Well, have you, you know, talked to anyone about her, doesn't it bother you?"

She laughs, "Noah, you've met my fathers, they've covered everything with me. Not to mention, I have had a therapist since freshman year, it's not that big of a deal anymore."

He's slightly surprised by her answer, he was expecting an emotional bath of suppressed feelings or anything but this, "But you seem a little off whenever I mentioned her yesterday."

She sighs, "Did I wish she and I had some sort of relationship? Yes. Do I regret not trying hard enough? Again, yes, but she made it clear she didn't want anything to do with me, for now at least."

He doesn't say anything, and just keeps his eye on the road. When Rachel sees his obvious discomfort, she turns her whole body towards him, "Look, I wasn't adopted. Unlike so many, I wasn't meant to know my mom, because as far as I'm concerned, daddy is enough of a mom for me- and the entire Lima community for that matter." She finishes with a laugh.

"Yeah, I can't argue that. But that still doesn't explain it, why did you-"

"I'm only human, the occasional what if haunts me every now and then, but I'm okay with it." She smiles again, "I never really needed her, I just wanted- I don't know, to know her.

"I guess that makes sense." He shrugs, "Sorry for bringing it up."

"It's fine." She says, sitting back in her seat. "It felt good to say."

"You know what else would feel good?" He smirks, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

"Noah!"

"What? I was going to say ice cream." He laughs, "Get your mind out of the gutter, Berry. Sheesh." He says, nudging her shoulder.

They drive around for a couple of hours, talking about this and that, not mentioning her dad even once throughout the conversation. He tells her funny stories about Dani and her babysitter, Finn's idiocy and jokes around about Shue's hairstyles. Her laughs, however strained, keep him going, and his spirit keeps her from falling. And somewhere between singing along with the radio and talking about New York, Rachel's eyes started to droop and eventually she stopped talking and just fell asleep.

Rachel's head lulls to the side, and he laughs a little as he watches her shift a little higher in her seat. Somewhere along the way, she lies down on her side, her head resting by his thigh, and her body tangled in the seatbelt as she snuggles into the worn leather seats. He almost jumps when he feels her head on his thigh, and her hand on his knee. He can't help but smile though, she looks so adorable that it took every fiber of his being not to just lean down and kiss her. He runs his hand through her hair, tucking it behind her ear and away from her face. He tries to ignore how soft her hair is, and how cute she looked asleep on his lap with those oversized clothes on her. He trails his hands lower so that his fingers are at her neck, his palm at her chin, and his thumb hovering over her mouth He's vaguely aware that he shouldn't be doing this. That they're not those kind of friends, with Santana's voice from earlier ringing in his head, but he feels her hand come over his and he hears her mumble a soft, "Thank you, Noah."

Something within the vicinity of his chest flutters uncontrollably and he's finding it hard not to smile. They remain in that same silence, her sleeping, while he drives around idly, to nowhere in particular. He's lost track of time, his mind drifting off to the events of the past couple of days. Between stealing looks at Rachel's sleeping form and wondering how he went from being diligently reticent to being completely open with her, she starts to stir awake.

He looks at the clock, seeing that two hours have passed by, he makes a turn that finds him driving by the Berry house. Finn's car is parked by the curb, and he contemplates just ignoring this fact and continuing his drive, but he sees him sitting on the porch, his head resting on his knees, his phone in his hand, and he groans as the guilt settles in the pit of his stomach.

His phone then rings indicating a new text message. He takes a deep breath, knowing that this will probably be Mr. Berry with an update, and aside from wanting some news, he really didn't want to read it. But nevertheless, he reaches for his phone, looks at it, and sees that in fact, the message is from Finn. He contemplates just ignoring it, he puts it down. He tries to continue driving, but both the curiosity and guilt nag at him. He reaches for the phone and reads the message: _I know she's with u. Is she ok?_

He parks the car in the driveway, slowly nudging Rachel awake. Finn looks up with a befuddled expression on his face, quickly standing up as he notices Rachel in the car with him. "He just wants to know you're okay." He shrugs.

"What time is it?" She asks groggily, clearing her throat as she hears how awful she sounds.

"Just around eleven." He says, "You want to?" He asks, motioning to the porch.

"Yeah, it's fine." She yawns, "I should probably…" She nods towards Finn, "Will you-"

"I'm not going anywhere." He winks, and the smile she gives him is enough to give her one of his own.

"Thank you." She says, her hand squeezing his arm. She hesitates just a little before leaning over and giving him a kiss on his cheek.

He watches as she jumps out of the car and walks over to Finn. He meets her halfway, and gives her a surprisingly not so awkward hug. Puck watches intently before looking away, trying to give them some privacy. A thought crosses his mind, a not so pleasant one concerning his two friends and while watching them exchange that hug, he had somewhat of a realization, and that is that those two will always be in each others lives, almost as if they have this unbreakable connection between them. It seems dramatic and not the kind of thought that would ever entertain his mind, but it's true. No matter what, they'll always be together, be it romantically or as friends- he figures that the on and off romance is also a given.

After about five minutes, Finn gives Rachel another hug, kissing her on the cheek as soon as he pulls away. He directs and awkward combination of both a wave and a salute towards him and makes his way back to his car. Rachel walks with him, and before Finn opens his door, he gets another text alert. Seeing that it's from Hiram, he takes a deep breath, and opening it, he reads: _He's in recovery. She can see him now. Bring her back._

He lets out a long sigh of relief, sinking down into his seat as a grin lights his face. He looks out the window and sees Rachel coming towards him. He opens his door quickly, and finds himself standing in front of a very perplexed Rachel, "What?" She asks warily.

He lifts his phone and shows her the text, and she grabs the hand on his phone so she can properly read. His whole body's shivering with excitement as he waits for her reaction. He expected her to be happy of course, but what he got wasn't what he expected. A gasp escapes her lips, and after taking in a few shallow breaths, her face breaks into sobs. A shaky hand lifts to her mouth to cover the sounds. She takes a minute to calm down before her arms wrap around his neck, her body pressing up against him, the impact of which forces him to lean back against his truck, "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you."

"It wasn't me, babe." He laughs, his own arms wrapping around his waist.

"I don't care." She breathes into his neck, "He's all right." She whispers. "He will be."

"Told you not to worry." He says, breathing in her scent.

"You did." She laughs, the relief making it sound a little lighter. "You were wonderful." She tells him, pulling back.

"I prefer the term, badass or fucking awesome. Wonderful sounds like a whole bunch fairies and gay shit." He says with a smile on his face, taking in that light shining from her eyes with a similar sense of happiness.

Completely ignoring what he just said, she looks up at him in amazement, "You really were wonderful, Noah." She says softly, her voice sounding a little breathless.

"I told you, I'm a bada-" He doesn't get to finish his sentence, let alone his train of thought as her lips smack against his, almost burning him as they work over his mouth. He doesn't hesitate to return the favor, one of his hands reaching to tangle in her hair, tilting her head slightly to get better access to her as his other hand grips her hips firmly, pulling her tighter against him.

She pulls away too soon, a shy smile on her face as she sees the look in his eye. Biting her lip, she says, "I'm sorry."

"You're funny." He chuckles, kissing her forehead, "I'm just sorry it stopped."

"Noah-"

"How about we go see your dad, huh?" He tells her, not really wanting to hear her say that it was a mistake, or that it was just in the heat of the moment or something equally unpleasant.

"Yes." She says excitedly, clapping her hands in front of her and almost skipping to the other side of the car.

Puck couldn't help but laugh at her eagerness, because aside from it being adorable, it was a stark contrast to the autopilot version of herself just a few minutes ago, and it was good to see her old self back again.

Between Rachel's giddy self and Puck's speed, they get to the hospital fairly quickly. And as soon as they're there, Rachel rushes inside. Puck quickly follows her, struggling to keep up as she shoots past everyone, which considering who he was with was saying something. They get in the elevator and head on to the fourth floor, where Hiram said to meet them. When the elevator doors open, Hiram is standing there, scrub cap and all. His face looks tired, but it softens as he gathers Rachel in his arms. He vaguely registers him saying an, "I'm sorry." But he's not sure.

He lets go of Rachel and gives him a hug as well, "Thank you, Noah." He tells him, "I owe you one." He laughs, pulling away, and grabbing Rachel's shoulder to pull her in for side hug.

"They're just changing his hospital gown." He says, placing a kiss on Rachel's temple, "Won't be long. He won't be happy when he wakes up." He says jokingly.

"What do you mean?" Puck asks.

"Dad hates those things; the hospital gowns." Rachel tells him, "He says it make him look like and I quote, 'an idiot'" She chuckles.

"Well, they do, don't they?" He says, "I mean, everyone can see your butt."

"Noah, movies do that for comedic purposes. They're perfectly decent, they cover everything that needs to and they're very comfortable." Hiram tells him seriously.

"You only say that cause you get the cool gear." Puck says, pointing at his scrub cap, "Wait, are those stars?"

"Yes, they are. I ordered them specially on line." Rachel beams, "Daddy's a star, it's only right that he has them."

"And I love it, sweetie." He smiles down at her.

"Now, I'm sure you guys are related." Puck laughs, watching the two with a look of amusement.

"As if there was a doubt in your mind." Hiram scoffs playfully. "Come on, I think he's ready."

"I'm just- I'm going to go check on my mom." Puck tells the two, not wanting to intrude on their family time.

"Oh, o-okay." Rachel says, hesitating by the door. She look up at Hiram for a second and he gets the message, "Your mother's on the second floor, Noah." He tells him, smiling before entering the room.

"It's been a long day.." Rachel starts, once her father is out of ear-shot.

"Yeah." He drawls out, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Look, I'm going to say this quick and you can't make fun of me for being a girl about it, okay?" He nods, laughing just a little, "I know we're not the best of friends, but regardless, you were there for me- even when you didn't need to, and seriously, I can't thank you enough. If it weren't for you, I would have gone crazy."

"But you already are crazy." He jokes, and when he sees a hint of a smile tug at her lips, he gives in, and tells her, "You did the same thing for me." He shrugs.

She takes a few steps forward, and standing on her tip toes, she gives him a lingering kiss on his lips, "As far as friends go, Noah, I really do love you for this."

"What's the kiss for?" He asks her, completely confused.

"Friends kiss, don't they?" She asks innocently, walking backwards towards the door. Puck raises his eyebrows in mild surprise, and shakes his head in an effort to clear up the confusion racking his brain, and completely missing the smirk that breaks on her face as soon as she turns to enter the room, a slight bounce in her step.

"This friends with girls shit is confusing." Puck mutters to himself, running a hand over his mohawk as he waits on the elevator.

* * *

**Author's note: **I don't know where I stand on this, but anyway, I'm sorry for the delay. I don't know what came over me.

And as alway, I apologize for any grammatical, spelling, emotional consistency, and any other form of mistake you find.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's note:** I know I know, but before you guys give me a lecture, between finals, life, hospital trips, and a severe case of writer's block, I couldn't get this chapter out. But that's beside the point, I've been getting messages about where The Story disappeared off to, and I can honestly say, I have no idea. I logged in and found some of my documents deleted anyway, and I seriously don't have an inkling why that would happen. I mean, I'm not important enough to be hacked, I guess it was a bug in the system that ate it? Unfortunately, the only version I have is the unedited version, so if I were to reload it, it's going to take some time.

Also, I'm a little rusty, so I apologize for any grammatical and spelling mistakes.

Anyway, new chapter, enjoy!

* * *

A couple of days had passed since the accident; Rachel's dad had woken up early the next morning. It had been the most surreal day either one of the two other Berry's had ever experienced. Puck left the night before, promising that he would come back in the morning, because visiting hours hadn't even begun, and he wasn't family. Even Rachel was expected to go home, but of course, her daddy being a doctor, and her adamantly refusing to stay anywhere than by her dad's bedside, the battle didn't even stir up any dust.

The doctors had said that Leroy wasn't to be released till next week. Rachel was the first to ask questions about his condition and how his recovery would be. Hiram had to hold her back when she started shaking in panic when she heard about all the possible side effects and complications Leroy would experience if he weren't given proper care.

He was asleep ninety nine percent of the time, and Rachel couldn't help the worry that coursed through her body when it took him a little extra time to wake up for his meds. She couldn't help it, she inherited her father's own worrisome tendencies.

Rachel insisted on staying at the hospital that Monday morning, but both her fathers refused even considering the idea. Leroy assured her he would be all right, "Sweetie, your daddy will be with me, and I have a hospital worth of people to look after me, I'll be okay." He tells her with a weak laugh, but when she huffs, crosses her arms, and looks away from him, he reaches out and holds her hand, "Baby, you'll be fine."

"I know, but-" She hesitates, "I don't want to leave you."

"How about you go, and I'll keep you updated every second?" Hiram says, his hands gripping her shoulder from behind, "Come on, go home, get dressed." He tells her before kissing her on the cheek. "Go on, I'll even pick you after school."

Kissing both her fathers goodbye, and reluctantly leaving the room, Rachel went home, took a much needed shower, pulled her hair up in a messy bun, drowned a couple bottles of water before heading out and making her way towards school.

In an effort to avoid confrontation with any of her friends and the glee club, she moved almost ghost like through the halls, waiting the last minute before entering any class and excusing herself to the bathroom one minute before any of them ended. She was a phantom, ignoring the calls of her name, and the worried looks as she brushed past them; Kurt looked almost hurt, Santana had looked shocked, and Finn looked like a five year old who had just lost his favorite toy. They've never seen Rachel act like this before, she was never the type to avoid her problems, and she always faced them head on, like a firecracker, with a spring in her step even when facing the most brutal of things.

Not to mention, her hair was not in its usual curls draped across her shoulder, the bags under her eyes made her look like a different person entirely, and she was wearing pants and a plain t-shirt, which considering her usual skirt and dress ensembles, shocked them the most. But then again, it was Rachel, they knew to leave her alone, because they never were really that close to her for her to let go in front of them, and so they tried to at least make things easier for her.

Right after lunch and just as Rachel was exiting the girl's restroom, Kurt stepped in front of her, a grin on his face as Karofsky came toward her with a cup in hand, the contents of the green slushie spilled all over the back of Kurt's head, to which Finn and Mike beat down Karofsky against the lockers for; it was winter for goodness sake.

Rachel gave Kurt an apologetic look, and so he just smiled and nodded his head towards her next class, "Get out of here."

"But-"

"The boys need me for evidence in principal Figgins' office anyway, I can't get cleaned up, now shoo." He winks and watches her go with a triumphant look on his face, before turning to Karofsky, "Have you no respect for the dead? This is ALEXANDER MCQUEEN!"

She had math next, with Santana and Quinn, but Puck was nowhere to be found. She sat in the back and not in her usual seat up front. She kept on glancing towards the window, lost in space, wondering and thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. The bell pulled her out of her reverie, signaling the end of class and when she looked down at her notes she realized that she hadn't written anything down, but just as she was putting her books away, a couple of papers slid across the table and when she looked up, she saw Santana walking out the door. They turned out to be the notes she hadn't taken. With a soft smile, she got up and left for her next class, which again, was supposed to have Puck in it.

She looked around as soon as she entered the classroom for any sign of him, a disappointed look passing over her face when she realized he wasn't there. The glee club had successfully brightened her mood, but there was still that nagging at the back of her head that kept reminding her that Puck was missing, and she couldn't help but feel guilty, thinking that the kiss she gave him yesterday was probably a bad idea. She shook the idea from her head.

As soon as class ended, she quickly headed towards her lockers, intent on skipping glee club, and going back to the hospital as soon as possible. But as she tuned the dial, and opened her locker, she noticed a roll of duck tape set on her books, with a note on it: _Have at it, babe._

"What?" She asks, taking the duct tape and twirling it in her hands, and after noticing Puck's messy scrawl, a feeling of dread washes over her, realizing Puck's sexual tendencies, but as she flips the paper, she sees a continuation, _You're the best one in there." _A smile cracks on her face, and with a renewed determination, she cuts a piece off, and places it over her mouth. She turns on her heel, finding the choir room already full, and with a deep breath, she crosses her arms, and heads over to the far left side of the room.

"Rachel, what are you doing?" Mr. Schuster asks impatiently.

She takes her place, welcoming the looks from her friends, giving Kurt an _I'll explain later_ type of look, and throwing a wink for good measure. She takes off the tape, and looks at her teacher, "I'm not doing anything. You silenced my talents. I'm merely protesting." She puts it back on, and as she sees Mr. Schue taking a deep breath, and Kurt trying not to laugh, she continues, "My talents are wasted in this club. My star shines too bright and I think you're threatened by it-"

"TAKE THAT OFF!" He yells, slamming the folder in his hands against the piano, startling everyone in the choir room, and causing Rachel to jump, "I'm tired of this Rachel! You have a terrible attitude, you're a lousy sport, and-"

"Excuse me?" They hear someone say by the door. Clearing his throat, Hiram Berry enters slowly after a polite knock, "If I may have a word, Mr. Schuster?"

He has the decency to look embarrassed, and he takes a second to compose himself, "Do I know you?"

"I'm the father of the girl you're currently yelling at." He says with a smile, "It'll only take a second."

"Oh shit, _that's_ Berry daddy?" Santana whispers, her hands on her mouth, trying but failing to stifle her laugh.

"Tsk tsk, Mr. Schue." Kurt shakes his head, "Serves him right. Last time I enthusiastically expressed myself, he sent me to the principal's office. Karma's a bitch."

"Dude, shut up." Finn nudges him.

"I'll be right back, guys." Mr. Schuster tells them, before entering his office.

Right then, Rachel walks over to Santana, "I'm sorry." She says with a shrug, "I'm glad you're getting a solo, but-" She hesitates, "anyway, that was for Mr. Schue, not you. And if you'd like, I'd be happy to offer my services in preparation for your debut. It can be overwhelming, not everyone can be a star, like me." She says jokingly.

"Or me!" Kurt adds, almost jumping three feet in the air as he says so.

"Yes, Kurt too." She says, giving him a respectful nod.

"Thanks, Berry, but I'm sure I'd give you a run for your money." She says, a hint of a smile on her face.

They all laugh, and as they wait for their teacher to come back, they fall back into casual conversation, talking about this and that, taking bets on who would win a cat fight, and making a note to arrange another diva-off in the near future, this time with Santana too. Rachel's eyes drift to the door every now and then, waiting for Puck to come in, but he doesn't.

Meanwhile, in Mr. Schuster's office, Hiram enters first, taking in his surroundings before tugging on the ends of his gloves as he turns to Mr. Schuster, "Now, while I know that my little girl can be a handful and somewhat aggravating at times, I would appreciate it if you did not yell at her like that. I mean, I myself have never lifted my voice over hers, ever, and I'm her father. If anyone has the right, it should be me."

"Look, -" He starts apologetically.

"I'm not finished. I'm well aware of how frustrating being an educator can be. I have one child, and sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get through the day. It's overwhelming, but again, we just have to grit our teeth and work through it. That's the most difficult part of being a teacher. And I'm not saying that my daughter is perfect, by all means, if you seek to discipline her, do so, but not in front of her peers. Don't embarrass and humiliate her like that, please. She already gets enough of that from those slushies your school seems to have no problem turning their heads on."

"I apologize. I had a very rough day today, and I shouldn't have taken it out on her, or the kids." He sighs, bowing his head down, and squeezing the bridge of his nose.

"To be honest, I was quite surprised." Hiram says, taking a seat, crossing his legs, and smoothing his gloves on his knee. "Rachel always speaks so highly of you. In any case, I'll talk to her about whatever it is she did, but for now, her father is in the hospital and I was hoping you could dismiss her early today."

"H-hospital? Is he okay?" Mr. Schuster asks sympathetically, suddenly feeling guilty over yelling at Rachel when she was obviously going through some form of emotional trauma.

"Just a little accident." Hiram smiles, tugging his gloves back on, "Would you mind?"

"O-oh, yes,. I mean, no, of course." He says, opening his office door, "Rachel, take your bag." He tells her, and as soon as she walks over, he leans down, "I'm sorry." He says simply, almost embarrassed.

She shrugs her bag over her shoulder, and gives him a small salute, "I'm sorry too. Santana assures me that she'll give me a run for my money," She smiles before whispering, "but I highly doubt that." She laughs, taking her father's hand, and waving at her friends before exiting the room.

* * *

Around 3 am the next morning, Rachel began feeling restless. The doctors informed them earlier that day that Leroy hasn't been responding to some of the medication, and they had to find alternative methods to treat him, which sent Rachel into hysteria mode, refusing to listen to any reassurances that this was a common occurrence and highly treatable. She calmed down, but that didn't quell the worry she felt for her dad. The blanket she wrapped herself with was slowly losing its warmth and taking on a more vexing texture. Shifting in her spot on the arm chair, no position was comfortable enough to lull her back to sleep, and even when she attempted to fool herself by closing her eyes and feigning unconsciousness, an hour would pass, and she'd huff as she found her self still wide awake. Her eyelids were reigning down on her; the burden of hope taking its toll, her mind too busy rattling with the circus of emotion inside her. The beeping from the monitors in the room was a constant reminder of what happened and how slow time was moving, almost as if it was mocking her.

It was common knowledge that Rachel Berry was the kind of girl to overanalyze certain situations, but when it came to the dark alley ways of the unknown, she strayed far away from it, forming as many walls in her mind to keep herself from thinking anything other than what she needed to know to survive, to feel, to keep on smiling.

Luckily, her guard was down today. She didn't have any insecurities stopping her from calling the boy she had in mind, because all her energy was spent on worry for the man lying on that bed right in front of her. As the thought crossed her mind, a bitter smile crossed her lips as she was toying with her phone, because she would take self-doubt over this any day.

She called him; he answered, his voice sounding tired, but not asleep.

Puck was standing outside his truck when she walked out, leaning against the passenger door, wearing an old pair of sweatpants, the drawstrings hanging dully against his thighs. His torso was covered in a black hooded sweatshirt, his face half concealed by the thick fabric. As soon as he saw the electronic doors slide open, he straightened up, his face brightening just a little. She walked over to him, and his hands lifted the hood off his head, walking the closing distance with an exhausted smile on his face and as soon as she was close enough, he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug.

"Hey."

"Hi."

They rode the car around town together; he drove lazily, slowly, watching her from the corner of his eye. Her head was resting back, angled toward the window, a soft smile playing on her lips. The window was open; it was a peaceful night- like the deathless silent calls after a storm. The air was crisp, slightly cold, but ever so fresh. Every once in a while, she'd glance at him and catch his eye, the smile on her face would reach her eyes, and she'd turn away quickly, back to admiring the wind blowing through the window, ruffling her hair and she'd close her eyes and just enjoy it.

Somewhere along the way, his hand found hers and he intertwined them together. He was by no means a natural when it came to these innocent acts of affection, but then again, something changed that night, or day, or whenever it was. The sudden touch caused Rachel to jump ever so slightly, but her expression softened when she looked down to see his hand- it was warm and somehow… safe. Puck kept his eyes on the rode, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at him when she saw him swallow his nerves.

He kept driving, both of them never saying a word.

With a sigh, Rachel turned her head away from the window and settled on watching him drive. It was a full moon that night, the soft light accompanied with that of the streetlight reflected on his face and she found herself admiring him again. His eyes looked tired, his face worn out, but there was something that seemed… lighter about him, she couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was, but she liked it. It was as though, in leaving, his dad had taken a part of him, but now, with this new found knowledge, it was back. Her eyes traveled to the way he was casually gripping the steering wheel. Normally, she would have reprimanded him for not having both hands on the wheel, but she figured he put the other one to good use, so it was okay.

She noticed that he had scars on one of his hands, in the long crevice where the thumb meets the index finger. She recalled the ones on his knuckles from the other day, but these were older. She didn't want to ask, because it just didn't feel right to talk, but there was this overwhelming need to just kiss them, the cuts on his knuckles, and the scars on his other hand- in case they were still healing, in case they still hurt. And if they didn't, she wanted to kiss them anyway, because it was just _him._

She didn't realize that she was rubbing them till she heard a low hiss coming from his mouth and felt his hand twitch slightly, "Sorry."

"N-no, it's cool- it feels kinda good actually." He gives her a smirk, eyebrows raised, and rolls his head to look at her.

They don't say anything else, both content in leaving questions unanswered- for now, and relishing in the other's company.

The car slowed down after a while, Rachel looks around, "Why are we stopping?"

Puck nods his head towards the expanse of trees, the soft glistening rays of moonlight bouncing off the lake in front of them, and shrugs, "Stupid sunrise is pretty cool here."

She senses how uncomfortable he was saying that, and she didn't want him feeling embarrassed, or turning this into an awkward conversation. Not to mention, they were both pretty worn out, talking and teasing seemed too great a feat at the moment. So instead, she looked up at him and gave him her best smile, a genuine one, and tried to convey everything else with her eyes.

But before they get out of the car, he grabs her by the elbow to stop her, he hesitates for a second, but then, quietly, he says, "You kissed me." It wasn't a question.

"I know." She looks outside.

"Yeah…" He drawls out, "But why?"

"Noah." She laughs, "I'm sure you have your daily battles with the basic understanding of affection, but I thought you had the physical aspect down to an art- or at least, that's what I hear."

"Damn straight, babe." He nods, "But this is you, not me."

She takes a deep breath, turning her body toward him, and holding his hand in both of hers on her lap, "I like you." She says simply, and that was it.

"Rach-"

"Come on, let's go sit on the grass!" She tells him excitedly, tugging on his hand, before quickly opening her car door and jumping out.

She drags him out to the lake, and as she sits down a little too suddenly, it causes Puck to stumble and almost falls on top of her, "Careful." He smiles, spreading his legs out, and propping his hands behind his back, and turning to face her. He watches, waiting for her to say something.

"It's so beautiful out, how can it be so beautiful after what happened?" She asks, her voice distant.

He looks at her, she was genuinely curious- or so it seemed, "It's air, babe. It doesn't have feelings or whatever." He chuckles.

"Wouldn't that be wonderful?" She sighs, bringing her knees together, scratching one of them before drawing them apart.

"Yeah, feelings are fucking gross." He shudders.

She laughs, "No, I mean- to be like the air. Light, with no care in the world, amazing, and it just blows people away," She laughs, "Literally."

"Kinda like you." He says, leaning into her, bumping his shoulder with hers playfully before settling back on the ground.

"I have every single care in the world, Noah." She sighs, looking back at him, "I wish I didn't sometimes."

"And other times?"

"And other times," She takes a deep breath and looks out onto the lake, "it's the only thing that keeps me going."

That's the last thing they say for a while. A breeze passes by them and he sees a shiver course through her body, so he makes a move to lift his hoodie off, but just as he grabs the hem, he feels her hands stopping him, "Noah, what are you doing? It's freezing!"

"Exactly, if I could see you, you'd probably be blue." He says, shaking her hands off.

"I'm not cold." She tells him.

"You just said you're freezing, Rach." He rolls his eyes, moving his hands over hers, "See? Even your hands think so."

"No, I didn't." She says matter of factly, "I said _it _was freezing, the weather," She motions to the air, "Not me." She points to her chest.

"You're crazy." He laughs.

"That's a matter of perspective." She shrugs, and his arms come around her waist, dragging her between his legs. "Noah!"

"What? I'm cold." He tells her innocently, "Isn't body heat like, you know, better than stupid clothes heat?" His hands settle on her hips, pulling her close, and hugging her tighter against him.

"That's true." She laughs, her struggling coming to a halt as she let herself be in his arms, peacefully resting against his chest.

"Come on then." He tells her, tugging at her shirt.

"What?" She was confused, looking down to see if there was anything going on.

"Aren't you gonna take _your_ clothes off?" He teases her playfully.

"How charming." She scoffs, shifting between his legs until she was half resting on his chest, and half on his thigh. He laughs again.

"Plus, you kissed me." He whispers, low in her ear, "You got that, I get this."

"That's emotional blackmail."

"How in the fu- world is that emotional blackmail?" He laughs into her hair.

"Because I kind of, maybe, want to." She shrugs, looking back towards the lake.

"Rach-"

"What?" She looks up at him.

"What are we doing?" His hand brushes her hair behind her ear, and rests on the back of her neck.

"I honestly don't know." She tells him, her voice breathless, eyes threatening to close.

"Do you want to?" He asks, his lips brushing past hers, across her jaw line, and finally placing a kiss right below her ear, "Because I do."

She turns her head and catches his lips with hers, one hand clutching his shirt to bring him in even closer and the other on his neck, pulling him harder against her mouth. "Yes, " she tells him, her lips barely leaving his, "so much."

He took her answer as an opportunity to slip his tongue inside, past her lips, massaging every surface there was, and dancing around her tounge, touching and feeling everything he could. His hands were roaming all over her body, playing at her sides, pushing her hips away to get a better angle, up and down her thighs, and finally settling down on her legs while the other held her to him.

It was a slow passionate kiss, not hurried in the least, but very much wanted. It was getting late, and the making out slowly turned into soft kisses on the mouth, small pecks, and lips grazing, sucking, and kissing her neck when breathing became an issue.

"Wait."

"What?" She looks worried, her hands lifting to her lips, "Did I do something wrong?"

"Do you always have to ask that?" He looks at her incredulously, "You're perfect. It's just- are you and Finn over? Like, over over? Because I don't want to be a rebound or whatever."

"I'm pretty sure we are." She kisses his nose.

"Pretty sure?" He backs away, raising a brow.

"Positive." She yawns, smiling afterwards, "Sorry, didn't get any sleep."

He chuckles again, kissing the top of her head, "Sleep Rach." He tells her, lying back on the ground and pulling her down with him.

"Here? B-but there could be werewolves, rapists, or god forbid, wasps." She tells him frantically, her eyes wide, and hands gripping his arms forcefully.

"Wasps?" He asks with another laugh. He seemed to be laughing a lot around her.

"They're disgusting." She shivers.

"Whatever, you have my badass manly body to protect you." He says, closing his eyes.

"And the guns, let's not forget the impressive guns." She says, patting his left bicep. "Good night, Noah."

"Night babe." He yawns, kissing her one last time before allowing his eyes to close.

* * *

"So where's Rachel?" Kurt asks, quickly followed into the room by Santana.

"She must have gone to get some coffee.." Hiram says absentmindedly, leaning down beside the bed and placing his hand over his husband's forehead, "Leroy, darling, how are you feeling?"

"I'm doing well, thank you for asking-" He smiles sweetly, "for the millionth time."

Hiram gasps, putting his hand to his chest dramatically, "Well, excuse me if I'm a little worried. It's not like you almost died or anything awful like that. No, god forbid." When he sees Leroy stifling a laugh, he turns to the kids at the door, "Kids, I think Rachel's in the cafeteria if you'd like to see her."

"Baby girl didn't even sleep a wink last night." Leroy says sadly.

"And how would you know that?" Hiram says, crossing his arms, "You should have been asleep."

"I'm allowed to wake up, this isn't a coma." Leroy rolls his eyes, "Kids, go check up on her before you get reeled in as witnesses to a homicide."

"Okaaaaaay." Kurt drawls out before turning on his heel, dragging Santana with him on the way out.

"I see where she gets her crazy now." Santana laughs, "Those dudes are fucking mental."

Kurt and Santana walk over to the cafeteria, and seeing as that Rachel was nowhere in sight, they decide on calling her instead, "What are you looking at me for? I don't have her number, lady-lips."

"Fine, I'll do it." He sighs, digging for his phone, and dialing her number, "She's not answering."

"Try again, genius." She tells him, shaking her head.

"I know, I'm just telling you. Geez." Kurt shivers, stepping away from here, "You're really grumpy, you know that?"

"Yes, in fact, I do. It's a natural response to living in a stupid town like this. How else am I supposed to handle idiots? _With love and care?"_

"You really are something." Kurt says, nodding his head, "She's still not answering."

"All right, I'm done." She throws her hands up in the air.

"What, but-"

"Look, I have better things to do than look around for miss diva, okay? I just came here to see if she was okay, and she's not here, so yeah, later." She waves at him.

"Wait, can you at least drop me off at her house?" He asks sweetly.

"Fine." She sighs.

They make their way back to the parking lot, and drive towards Rachel's house. Just as they're about to make a turn, they see Puck's truck ahead, parking in the Berry driveway. "Looks like lover boy had the same idea, she's probably still sleeping or something." Santana offers.

"This is Rachel, she wakes up before the sun." Kurt says, unbuckling his seatbelt, and grabbing his bag.

"Whatever, you two should just calm your tits." Santana says, motioning her hands against Kurt's chest.

"I don't have-" Kurt gasps.

"Oh my god…"

"Don't cut me off-"

"Lady lips, shut up and look." She grabs his collar and points at the two people exiting the truck in front of them.

"Rachel and Puck. So?" He says, and upon closer inspection, and after seeing their disheveled appearances, "Oh."

"Oh my god, they so totally did it!"

"No, I mean… come on, she wouldn't…" Kurt stutters, "Would she?"

"She has sex hair, lady-pants." She points at them, "Plus, why else would they just be coming home?"

"Because it doesn't makes sense. If she was going to have sex, she'd do it at home. Her fathers are in the hospital. And another thing, her dad almost died! She's not gonna-"

"She was all emotional and shit, it's prime sex time." Santana says seriously.

"Oh my god, that's- you're horrible." Kurt shakes his head, and looks back at Rachel and Puck.

"It's true. That's why everyone has sex in funerals. Grief makes people horny." She shrugs her shoulders.

"Santana, that's not-"

"The facts speak for themselves, I don't make this stuff up. It's like the rules of humanity or some shit."

"B-but, she's Rachel." He squeaks.

"And he's Puck." She shrugs, before looking at him pointedly, "But the question remains, who's more themselves?"

"What do you mean?" Kurt asks, confused.

"I mean, who wins, the sex shark, or the wilting flower? Did they, or didn't they? Who overcame, and who submitted. It's like a soap opera, it's amazing." She says excitedly, leaning over the steering wheel, and squinting her eyes to get a closer look.

"And I thought I was the gossip hound." Kurt scoffs, before looking back at the two friends, and just as he does, Puck pushes Rachel against his truck, giving her a very generous kiss on the lips.

"I KNEW IT!" Santana yells, clapping her hands, "This is too good."

"Oh my.." Kurt sighs, tilting his head, "They're really getting into it."

"He's so totally copping a feel right now." She laughs, and realizing what she just said, she looks back at Kurt, "Coffee?"

"Yeah, let's get out of here. She seems to be in good hands." Kurt laughs nervously.

"So good." Santana says dreamily. Kurt gives her a look, "What? Dude knows his shit." She shrugs before pulling the car out of park, and opening Kurt's window as soon as the car starts moving.

"What are you doing?" Kurt asks, as she leans over him.

"GET A ROOM!" She yells out the window, causing both Puck and Rachel to jump, and while Rachel was trying to hide her blush, Puck just flipped her off and took Rachel's hand and went towards the house. "That was fun."

* * *

**Author's note 2: **So, your thoughts?


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